Perception of Orientation: Adaptation to Lateral Body-Tilt

Abstract

* Received for publication July 19, 1965. This study, undertaken at Clark Uni, versity, was supported by USPHS Research Grant MH-00348 from the National Institute of Mental Health. 'Kurt Koffka, Principles of Gestalt Psychology, 1935, 218; J. J. Gibson and 0. H. Mowrer, Determinants of the perceived vertical and horizontal, Psychol. Rev., 45, 1938, 300-323; H. A. Witkin and S. E. Asch, Studies in space orientation: IV. Further experiments on perception of the upright with displaced visual fields, J. exp. Psychol., 38, 1948, 762-782; C. W. Mann, N. H. B. Berry, and H. J. Dauterive, The perception of the vertical. I. Visual and non-labyrinthine cues, J. exp. Psychol., 39, 1949, 538-547; Gibson, The relation between visual and postural determinants of the phenomenal vertical, Psychol. Rev., 59, 1952, 370-375; Heinz Werner and Seymour Wapner, Sensory-tonic field theory of perception: Basic concepts and experiments, Rev. Psicol., 50, 1956, 315-337; K. A. Chandler, The effect of monaural and binaural tones of different intensities on the visual perception of verticality, this JOURNAL, 74, 1961, 260-265; Brant Clark and Ashton Graybiel, Perception of the postural vertical in normals and subjects with labyrinthine defects, J. exp. Psychol., 65, 1963, 490-494. 2 H. E. Burtt, The perception of slight changes of equilibrium, with especial reference to problems of aviation, J. appl. Psychol., 2, 1918, 101-115; P. M. van Wulfften Palthe, Function of the deeper sensibility and of the vestibular organs in flying, Acta Otolaryng., 4, 1922, 415-449; L. H. Bauer, Dangers of high speed and acrobatic flying, Aviation, 16, 1924, 174-176; F. Leiri, Ober die Bedeutung des Vestibularapparats bei der aviation, Z. Hals-Nasen-, und Ohrenh-lk., 17, 1927, 381391; A. Gemelli, L'orientazione lontana vel volo in aeroplane, Riv. Psicol., 29, 1933, 297-325; Witkin, Perception of body position and of the position of the visual field, Psychol. Monogr., 63, 1949, (No. 302), 1-46; Perception of the upright when the direction of the force acting on the body is changed, J. exp. Psychol., 40, 1950, 93-106; J. H. McFarland, Seymour Wapner, and Heinz Werner, Relation between perceived location of objects and perceived location of one's own body, Percept. mot. Skills, 15, 1962, 331-341. 3Witkin, op. cit., 1949, 1-46; Mc Farland, Visual and proprioceptive changes during visual exposure to a tilted line, Percept. mot. Skills, 15, 1962, 322.