Perceiving Affordances for Aperture Crossing for the Person-Plus-Object System

Abstract

In 3 experiments we investigated perception of affordances for aperture crossing for the person-plus-object system. Perceivers wielded occluded hand-held objects and determined whether they would be able to carry those objects through an aperture of a particular size. The results suggest (a) perceivers are sensitive to this affordance both when the object is wielded but not visible and when the object is visible but not wielded, (b) perception of affordances for aperture crossing while carrying an object is constrained by the same higher order inertial variable that constrains perception of extent of a hand-held wielded object (I_ij ), and (c) perceivers are sensitive to this affordance both when the shoulder width of the participant contributes to the width of the person-plus-object system and when it does not. In general, perceivers treat wielded objects as an extension of their bodies and are sensitive to affordances for the person-plus-object system.