Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
07:19
A Modified Lean and Release Technique to Emphasize Response Inhibition and Action Selection in Reactive Balance
Published on: March 19, 2020
A balancing act: physical balance, through arousal, influences size perception
Michael N Geuss1, Jeanine K Stefanucci, Justin de Benedictis-Kessner
1Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA. michaelgeuss@gmail.com
Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|October 19, 2010
Summary
Manipulating balance affects visual perception, making objects appear smaller. This effect is linked to heightened arousal, not simply reduced viewing time or dual-task interference.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Human perception
- Motor control
Background:
- Previous studies show vision impacts balance.
- The current research investigates the reverse: how balance affects vision, specifically width perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if manipulating balance influences visual perception of width.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms, such as attention, viewing time, and arousal.
Main Methods:
- Participants estimated beam widths under conditions of balance and imbalance.
- Viewing time was manipulated in one experiment.
- Arousal levels were manipulated through physical (jogging) and cognitive (counting backward) tasks.
- Experiments controlled for dual-task effects.
Main Results:
- Participants perceived beams as narrower when unbalanced.
- Reduced viewing time did not explain this effect.
- Heightened arousal, induced by both balancing and non-balancing tasks, led to the perception of narrower widths.
- This effect persisted even when arousal was induced before the width estimation task.
Conclusions:
- Balance manipulation influences visual perception of width.
- Heightened arousal is a key factor mediating this effect.
- The findings suggest a complex interplay between motor control, arousal, and visual perception.
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