Moeller Birte, Zoppke Hartmut, Frings Christian
Department of Psychology, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, 54296, Trier, Germany.
Engineering Department, Trier University of Applied Sciences, Schneidershof, 54293, Trier, Germany.
Psychon Bull Rev. 2016 Jun;23(3):781-8. doi: 10.3758/s13423-015-0954-9.
Almost a century ago it was first suggested that cars can be interpreted as tools, but consequences of this assumption were never tested. Research on hand-held tools that are used to manipulate objects in the environment suggests that perception of near space is extended by using tools. Literature on environment perception finds perception of far space to be modulated by the observer's potential to act in the environment. Here we argue that a car increases the action potential and modulates perception of far space in a way similar to how hand-held tools modulate perception of near space. Five distances (4 to 20 meters) were estimated by pedestrians and drivers before and after driving/walking. Drivers underestimated all distances to a larger percentage than did pedestrians. Underestimation was even stronger after driving. We conclude that cars modulate the perception of far distances because they modulate the driver's perception, like a tool typically does, and change the perceived action potential.
近一个世纪前，首次有人提出汽车可被视为工具，但这一假设的后果从未得到验证。对手持工具用于在环境中操纵物体的研究表明，使用工具会扩展对近空间的感知。环境感知方面的文献发现，远空间的感知会受到观察者在环境中行动潜力的调节。在此，我们认为汽车会增加行动潜力，并以类似于手持工具调节近空间感知的方式调节对远空间的感知。在驾驶/行走前后，行人与驾驶员对五个距离（4至20米）进行了估计。驾驶员对所有距离的低估比例均高于行人。驾驶后低估情况更为严重。我们得出结论，汽车会调节对远距离的感知，因为它们像工具通常那样调节驾驶员的感知，并改变所感知到的行动潜力。
