Abstract Summary
When stepping over obstacles, diverted gaze may reduce the ability to gather visual information and impair performance. The study examined how diverted gaze affected young versus older adults. Participants completed two tasks (standing, stepping over an obstacle) with a simple reaction time (RT) task in two diverted gaze conditions (RT task on the obstacle, away from the obstacle). When gaze was diverted away from the obstacle, young adults placed the trail foot closer to the obstacle, demonstrating higher trip-risk. Conversely, older adults adopted more cautious strategies with longer reaction times and foot placement farther away from the obstacle to reduce the risk of trip.
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