Body Orientation and the Perception of Spatial Auditory and Tactile Cues

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of five body orientations (supine, kneeling, sitting, standing, and prone) on perception of spatial auditory and spatial tactile cues along eight equidistant points (45° separation) of the azimuth, using a within-participant design. Participants (N = 30) used a graphics tablet and stylus to indicate the perceived direction indicated by either vibrotactile stimuli applied to the abdomen, or spatial auditory stimuli presented via headphones. Response time data show responses to spatial tactile cues were significantly faster than spatial auditory cues at each body position and for each point along the azimuth, with no significant effects of body orientation. Absolute angle differences between presented and perceived cues were significantly smaller in the tactile condition for five of the eight stimulus positions, with no significant effects of body orientation. Results are discussed in terms of designing multi-sensory directional cues for reducing visual search space for dismounted soldiers