The impact of gravity on perceived object height

Abstract

Altering posture relative to the direction of gravity, or exposure to microgravity has been shown to affect many aspects of perception, including size perception. Our aims in this study were to investigate whether changes in posture and long-term exposure to microgravity bias the visual perception of object height and to test whether any such biases are accompanied by changes in precision. We also explored the possibility of sex/gender differences. Two cohorts of participants (12 astronauts and 20 controls, 50% women) varied the size of a virtual square in a simulated corridor until it was perceived to match a reference stick held in their hands. Astronauts performed the task before, twice during, and twice after an extended stay onboard the International Space Station. On Earth, they performed the task of sitting upright and lying supine. Earth-bound controls also completed the task five times with test sessions spaced similarly to the astronauts; to simulate the microgravity sessions on the ISS they lay supine. In contrast to earlier studies, we found no immediate effect of microgravity exposure on perceived object height. However, astronauts robustly underestimated the height of the square relative to the haptic reference and these estimates were significantly smaller 60 days or more after their return to Earth. No differences were found in the precision of the astronauts' judgments. Controls underestimated the height of the square when supine relative to sitting in their first test session (simulating Pre-Flight) but not in later sessions. While these results are largely inconsistent with previous results in the literature, a posture-dependent effect of simulated eye height might provide a unifying explanation. We were unable to make any firm statements related to sex/gender differences. We conclude that no countermeasures are required to mitigate the acute effects of microgravity exposure on object height perception. However, space travelers should be warned about late-emerging and potentially long-lasting changes in this perceptual skill.