Usefulness of Off-median Pointing Task as an Indirect Measuring Method of Perceived Distance

A direct measure, such as verbal report, of perceived distance which has been frequently used to measure the perceived distance has a major problem that may invites the observer to make responses based on earlier responses. The off-median pointing task was developed to solve such cognitive interference, requires the observer to point to the perceived location of a target using a rotating pointer positioned to his side. However, this approach still has some problems. When the position an observer points to and the actual position of the target are not the same, it is due to an error in perception or it may be simply difficulty in directing the pointer to the desired location. This study attempted to answer by having thirty students use the haptic pointer to reproduce an angle they can see. They haptically adjusted a hidden pointer on their right side to match 7 visible angles in front of them. Then they adjusted the visible angle to match 7 angles they could only feel, by using an visual angle device in front of them. For each task, measurements were taken to the nearest degree. Task order (visual adjustments or haptic adjustments first) and gender were nonsignificant variables. The task itself was meaningful to the observers. The development of a calibration scale for the off-median pointing task will be necessary as the actual angle of the device does not match the perceived angle of the device.