Adolph K E
Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1995 Aug;21(4):734-50. doi: 10.1037//0096-1523.21.4.734.
This research examined how infants in early stages of walking determine whether a hill is safe or risky for locomotion. A psychophysical staircase procedure provided estimates of infants' physical ability to walk up and down slopes (2 degrees to 36 degrees), and a "go ration" indexed the accuracy of their perceptual judgments. On average, perceptual judgments were scaled to walking ability on slopes. Children walked on safe slopes and balked on risky ones. For ascent, perceptual judgments were related to length of walking experience and walking skill on flat ground. Better walkers were also better perceivers. For descent, judgments neatly mirrored exploratory activity. Better perceivers explored hills more efficiently by hesitating, touching, and testing different positions on hills around the limits of their physical ability.
本研究考察了处于行走早期阶段的婴儿如何判断一座小山对于行走来说是安全的还是危险的。一种心理物理学阶梯程序提供了婴儿上下不同坡度（2度至36度）斜坡的身体能力估计值，而“通过比率”则为他们的感知判断准确性编制索引。平均而言，感知判断与在斜坡上的行走能力相匹配。儿童会在安全的斜坡上行走，而在危险的斜坡上却步。对于上坡，感知判断与行走经验的时长以及在平地上的行走技能有关。行走能力更强的婴儿也是更好的感知者。对于下坡，判断结果精准地反映了探索行为。更好的感知者会通过犹豫、触摸以及在其身体能力极限附近测试小山上不同位置，更高效地探索小山。
