164 blind Ss and 30 blindfolded, sighted controls walked and reported their perceptions of a pathway whose surface contained grades of 1, 2, 4, and 6° of incline and decline from the horizontal. It was found that the perception of incline and decline were independent perceptual attributes and that Ss were more sensitive to decline than to incline. The blind were more sensitive to decline than sighted controls. Various other inter-group differences between various portions of the blind population were found.

No abstract

213 Ss participated in 4 experiments designed to identify relationships between figural aftereffects elicited by hand, limb, and total body movements. The measures obtained were reliable and highly task specific.

This pilot study was conducted to test the usefulness of angle-angle diagrams and phase plane plots obtained through high-speed cinematographical methods for making graded assessments of associated movements in children. Kinematic data at the shoulder, elbow, and ankle joints of normal and motorically awkward children (5-7 years old) were obtained from digitized films of normal and heel walking trials on a motor driven treadmill. A computer program was developed to smooth, calculate, differentiate, and plot data. Angle-angle diagrams depicting simultaneous joint angular displacements of (a) shoulder versus ankle and (b) elbow versus ankle revealed graded differences in decoupling of joint motion, limb excursions, and joint range-of-motion changes between the 5-year-old, 7-year-old awkward, and 7-year-old normal subject. Phase planes of the shoulder, elbow, and ankle joint were obtained by plotting joint angular displacement against joint angular velocity. Differences in size, shape, and looping behavior showed the quantity of change and whether the changes were gradual or sudden. This noninvasive methodology and eventual standardization of angle-angle diagrams and phase planes could prove to be useful in providing more precise diagnoses of associated movements and other subtle movement disorders.