Field Dependence and Orientation of Upside-down Posture in Water

Abstract

Sensory information from the environment is used for body orientation and maintaining posture for effective movement, and the effects of specific senses on orientation and posture can be tested by removing input. In the present study, field dependence was used to evaluate the importance of vision in the perception of verticality when an upside-down posture was adopted under water. Eleven female synchronized swimmers at the French national level were participants. These swimmers were assessed for field dependence and all of them attempted to orient to the vertical with different types of sensory disturbance (eyes closed, opaque goggles, noiseless environment). Kinematic analyses of body inclination were conducted under the different conditions of sensory disturbance. Participants who were more field-dependent aligned their posture more accurately with the gravitational vertical than those who were more field-independent when the tactile afferents from the thighs are blocked.