PUTTING TO A BIGGER HOLE: GOLF PERFORMANCE RELATES TO PERCEIVED SIZE

Erika LaroseCLPS 1500Jessica Witt, 2008

Challenging Perception Most theories of perception describe it as

an enclosed process whose information comes only from optical data and oculomotor adjustments (i.e., lens power accommodation, angle convergence of visual axes, and pupil dilation and contraction)

But what if that’s not all?What if how you perform affects

how you perceive?

Hmmmmm…. TELL ME MORE.

Indeed, a growing body of research supports the possible theory that action abilities also affect perception of distance, size, and slant. FOR EXAMPLE:

Hills were judged as steeper and distances as longer when perceivers carried heavy backpacks (Bhalla & Proffitt, 1999 & 2003).

Targets looked further away to people throwing a heavy ball compared with a light ball (Witt et al., 2004).

And the experiment off of which this study was based: softball players who hit well judged the ball as bigger than players who hit… “less well” (Witt & Proffitt, 2005).

WHAT IS GOING ON? This study experiments with golf to try

and explain what’s happening.1. Do golfers really see the hole differently

depending on their performance?2. If they do, is the effect due to their

performance on that day, or their general abilities?

Experiment 1 46 participants at Providence Golf Club* having just

completed 18-hole round of golf. 45 male, 1 female Mean age: 45.9

Shown a board with nine black circles increasing in size form 9-13 cm, asked to select circle equal in size to actual golf hole (actual size 10.8 cm)

Next, information collected: Score of round Handicap Putts on 18th hole Score on 18th hole

Last, subjective self-report Putting abilities compared to others of same handicap Day’s putting compared to average performance Day’s playing compared to average performance

*(Ironically in Richmond, Virginia)

Results Significant correlation

between: Score of round and

perceived hole size Number of putts on 18th

hole and perceived hole size

NO significant correlation between: Handicap and perceived

hole size Score on 18th hole and

perceived hole size Subjective reports and

perceived hole size

18th hole – representative sample of course?

What do you think about subjective self-reporting? The lack of correlation? Influenced by self-

perception (not that kind of perception!) Confidence, Optimism, Self-Attitude

Seemingly independent of personal traits

[Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island]. Discuss.

On to Experiment 2 40 Participants aged 18-34 Performed Two Tasks

First Task: 10 putts on putting mat to hole from either easy distance (.4 m) or hard distance (2.15) Asked to first predict successful putts 2 minutes of practice, choice of 2 putters

Second Task: Led into separate room, asked to replicate exact size of hole on Microsoft Paint Allowed to adjust as often as needed until

satisfied with result

Results First things first:

As you would expect, the ‘easy’-condition participants predicted a greater success rate than ‘hard’-condition participants. Easy: m = 60% Hard: m = 38.3%

They were right, too. Easy: m = 73.5% Hard: m = 24.5%

Participants in easy condition drew larger circles than did those in hard condition

The Thighmaster is neither a thigh nor a master. Discuss. Thus, participants in easy condition perceived

the hole to be larger than those in hard condition Suggests that putting from 2.15 m is more difficult

than from .4 m, and that as a result, subjects performed worse, which influenced perceived hole.

What do you think about this?Two problems:1. Participants in the easy condition were closer to the hole

1. Larger visual angle, less projected compression2. Participants couldn’t see hole when size was estimated

1. Using memory, not perception. So…Let’s fix this in Experiment 3!

Experiment 3 50 participants aged 17-34 Method identical to Experiment 2

EXCEPT: Participants kept in same room as putting

mat when drawing circle. Approximately 1 meter right of mat, with hole visible. Allowed to look at hole while creating circle.

Results First things first, again:

As you would expect, again, the ‘easy’-condition participants predicted a greater success rate than ‘hard’-condition participants. Easy: m = 60% Hard: m = 36.8%

They were right, again. Easy: m = 68.8% Hard: m = 28%

Participants in easy condition still drew circle bigger than did participants in hard condition Even while looking at hole,

perceived size differently Thus, performance influences

perceived hole size, not just remembered hole size.

A chickpea is neither a chick nor a pea. Discuss. Possible concern of varying viewing distances during

putting task? However, circle made from same distance, so differences in

drawn circle size still likely attributed to degree of success in putting task, not viewing distance.

According to study, additional evidence for this reasoning found in Experiment 1. If viewing distance were the cause for perception differences, then golfers in Experiment 1 who played better wouldn’t have judged hole as bigger Greater skill means able to make putts from farther distances,

thus putting would have come from farther viewing distance. But, this implies that golfers who can make long putts are

doing so in the round! Is this true?

SO. Results show that golfers perceive size of the

hole in relation to their performance. Suggesting that perception of target size is

correlated with current abilities to effectively act on target

Is this Correlation or Causation? Do golfers putt better, and therefore see the hole

as bigger? OR, do golfers who see the hole as bigger putt

better as a result? What do YOU think?

In sum: