Perception of maximum stepping and leaping distance: Stepping affordances as a special case of leaping affordances

• We investigate transfer of calibration of perception of maximum step and leap.
• Scaling of perceived maximum leap depended on leaping ability.
• Leaping recalibrated perceived maximum leap.
• Stepping did not recalibrate perceived maximum step.
• Calibration of perceived maximum leap transferred to perceived maximum step.

Successfully performing everyday behaviors requires perceiving affordances—possibilities for behavior that depend on the fit between environmental properties and action capabilities. Whereas affordances for some behaviors are primarily constrained by relatively static geometric properties of the perceiver (non-launching behaviors such as stepping), others are additionally constrained by dynamic force production capabilities of the perceiver (launching behaviors such as leaping). This experiment used a transfer of calibration paradigm to investigate whether visual perception of launching and non-launching behaviors represent independent perception–action tasks. In particular, we investigated whether calibration of visual perception of maximum leaping distance transferred to visual perception of maximum stepping distance, and/or vice versa. The results showed that calibration of perception of maximum leaping distance transferred to perception of maximum stepping distance, suggesting that perception of launching and non-launching are not independent. Rather, perception of stepping affordances may be a special case of perception of leaping affordances.