The Role of Visual Feedback about Motion of the Ground on Postural Sway

Abstract

We asked whether body sway would be influenced by visual information about motion of the ground surface. On a ship at sea, standing participants performed a demanding visual search task or a simple visual inspection task. Display content was stationary relative to the ship or relative to the Earth. Participants faced the ship’s bow or its port side. Performance on the visual search task was representative of terrestrial studies. Body sway was greater during viewing of the Earth Stationary displays than during viewing of the Ship Stationary displays. We discuss possible implications of these results for theoretical and applied issues.

Keywords:

• Postural control
• visual feedback
• visual performance

Acknowledgments

We thank Albert Suchy, Director of Ship Operations at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Laboratory, Captains Al Lunt and AD Colburn, R/V Atlantis crewmembers and the DSV Alvin operations team.