Does weight lifting improve visual acuity? A replication of Gonzalo-Fonrodona and Porras (2013)

Abstract

ObjectiveA physical effort such as lifting up a weight affects our perception and cognition. A previous study reported in two experiments that weight lifting improves visual acuity. In the previous study, participants’ visual acuity was higher while lifting weights than while resting. Moreover, via a case study, that study further showed that the heavier the weight, the better the visual acuity. These experiments, although interesting, lacked methodological details and thorough statistical analyses. We thus conducted experiments similar to these two previous ones that mitigated these issues.ResultsAlthough our results of Experiment 1 echoed those of the previous study, the results of Experiment 2 did not support the latter case report. Thus, our results suggest that the bodily experience of weights improves visual acuity, but a gradual increase in weight does not seem to lead to a gradual increase in visual acuity.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-017-2699-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sex Differences in Mental Rotation Performance Through Holding Weights By the Hands

“…Consistent results were also obtained from error rate analyses, showing a trend where only the female slopes became shallower when holding heavy than light bags. The present study also extended to mental rotation the previous findings in the embodiment literature, such as effects of weights on visual acuity (Gonzalo-Fonrodona & Porras, 2013;Yonemitsu, et al, 2017), appreciation of museum exhibits (Yamada et al, 2014), judgments of importance (Jostmann et al, 2009), and perceived slant (Bhalla & Proffitt, 1999) and distance (Proffitt et al, 2003). Consistent with previous research, the present study demonstrated that weights held by the hand did not impair and even facilitated mental rotation performance.…”

“…In our daily lives, hands are more often used to lift and hold objects to carry them. Moreover, it has been repeatedly reported that holding weights alters human perceptual and cognitive processing, such as judgments of importance (Jostmann et al., 2009), appreciative comprehension of museum exhibits (Yamada et al., 2014), and Vernier acuity (Gonzalo-Fonrodona & Porras, 2013; Yonemitsu et al., 2017). Similarly, embodiment studies on spatial perception revealed that wearing a heavy backpack (and not using one’s hands to carry it) caused overestimation of a slant (Bhalla & Proffitt, 1999) and a distance (Proffitt et al., 2003).…”

“…It also remains to be seen whether the effect of holding weights on mental rotation performance is facilitatory or detrimental. Some studies have shown that holding weights leads to facilitatory effects on perceptual processing such as improved Vernier acuity (Gonzalo-Fonrodona & Porras, 2013; Yonemitsu et al., 2017). These findings predict that holding weights may facilitate mental rotation as well.…”

“…More specifically, if somatosensory cues play a facilitatory role in mental rotation such that approaching behavior improves female mental rotation performance (Jansen et al., 2017), holding weights should decrease the RT slope. Such a facilitatory effect seems possible given the fact that lifting weights improves Vernier acuity (Gonzalo-Fonrodona & Porras, 2013 ; Yonemitsu et al., 2017). Conversely, if hand and arm contractions induced by weights interfere with motor processes, such as the effect of constraining the hands (Moreau, 2013), holding weights could increase the RT slope.…”

Embodied Cognition in Performance: The Impact of Michael Chekhov’s Acting Exercises on Affect and Height Perception

“…Findings such as these have been interpreted to signify that spatial awareness is influenced by the costs associated with intended and performed actions (Proffitt, 2006, 2008). Several studies have also reported an increase of visual acuity in subjects carrying weights, although gradually making the load heavier does not produce corresponding incremental changes to vision (Gonzalo-Fonrodona and Porras, 2013; Yonemitsu et al, 2017).…”