Research Design Connection: Weight and Perceptions and Actions

by Sally Augustin, Ph.D. | October 16th, 2017

Taylor-Coville and Eves probed how our weight influences our perceptions of the world around us. Their findings can be useful to designers trying to understand and utilize data collected from space users, for example. Taylor-Coville and Eves found “more exaggerated reports of staircase steepness in overweight than in healthy-weight participants.” These impressions matter because they have public health implications: “Overweight pedestrians are more likely to avoid stair climbing when a motorized alternative is available…Pedestrians navigating the built environment are likely to base their choices on ‘feel’ rather than making careful perceptual estimates of the alternatives…the greater perceptual bias in the overweight for stair steepness might deter them from a type of physical activity that would be beneficial for their health.” Guy Taylor-Coville and Frank Eves. 2016. “Carrying a Biological ‘Backpack’: Quasi-Experimental Effects of Weight Status and Body Fat Change on Perceived Steepness.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, …