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Young Adults With Developmental Coordination Disorder Adopt a Different Visual Strategy During a Hazard Perception
Griet Warlop1, Pieter Vansteenkiste1, Matthieu Lenoir1
1Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 3, 2021
Summary
Individuals with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) show deficits in hazard perception while cycling in traffic, potentially increasing accident risk. Further research should address both motor and perceptual skills for safer cycling.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Traffic Safety
Background:
- Cycling in traffic demands integrated motor and perceptual skills in dynamic environments.
- Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is associated with impaired perceptual-motor skills, potentially elevating accident risks for individuals with DCD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hazard perception abilities in young adults with DCD within simulated cycling traffic scenarios.
- To compare the visual attention and reaction times to hazards between individuals with DCD and typically developing (TD) individuals.
Main Methods:
- A hazard perception test was administered to young adults with DCD and TD controls.
- Gaze behavior was tracked using an eye-tracking device during the simulated traffic scenarios.
- Questionnaires assessed cycling experience and self-perceived anticipation skills.
Main Results:
- Individuals with DCD fixated on hazards later, less frequently, and for shorter durations compared to TD participants.
- Despite visual attention differences, DCD and TD participants did not differ in their reaction times to hazards.
- Individuals with DCD perceived traffic situations as significantly more dangerous than TD participants.
Conclusions:
- Observed differences in hazard perception suggest a heightened risk of accidents for individuals with DCD when cycling in traffic.
- Recommendations include addressing both motor and perceptual skill development in interventions for individuals with DCD to improve cycling safety.
