Vision, Balance, and Reaction Time

Name: ______

Date: ______

Vision, Balance, and Reaction Time

This lab is designed to help evaluate the importance of human vision to both balance and reaction time. Students will participate in various activities that remove or impair human vision as a way to better illustrate the important role it plays in those activities. Students should participate in each activity so they can provide in depth answers for the pre-lab and post-lab questions.

Part I A: Walking the Line

Walk heel to toe along a line taped on the ground. Complete this first with your eyes open and then with your eyes closed.

1. Did you notice any difference in your ability to balance along the line when your eyes were open and when they were closed? Explain.

2. How did you cope with keeping your balance when your eyes were closed versus when they were open? Did you have to adjust your technique to keep from losing your balance? Why or why not?

Part I B: Walking the Line Impaired

Complete the same task as above using both pairs of impairment goggles. Keep your eyes open while you use the goggles.

3. What effect did the goggles have on your ability to walk a straight line without losing your balance?

4. Did you notice a significant difference between the goggles that simulate being buzzed versus the goggles that simulate being fully inebriated?

5. Extrapolate your experience walking with the goggles on to driving with those impairments. How would alcohol affect your ability to correctly operate a vehicle? What important traits are taken away when you are under the influence of alcohol that would limit your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle?

Part II: Soft Toss

Toss an item back and forth with your lab partner. The item could be keys, a ball, or anything with weight that you do not mind possibly hitting the ground. Toss this item back and forth 10 times. Record whether the item was caught or dropped in the table below.

Toss 1 / Toss 2 / Toss 3 / Toss 4 / Toss 5 / Toss 6 / Toss 7 / Toss 8 / Toss 9 / Toss 10

Repeat the same task with the goggles that simulate being buzzed. Again, record whether the item was caught or dropped for each toss.

Toss 1 / Toss 2 / Toss 3 / Toss 4 / Toss 5 / Toss 6 / Toss 7 / Toss 8 / Toss 9 / Toss 10

Repeat the task one final time using the goggles that simulate being fully inebriated. Record whether the item was caught or dropped for each toss.

Toss 1 / Toss 2 / Toss 3 / Toss 4 / Toss 5 / Toss 6 / Toss 7 / Toss 8 / Toss 9 / Toss 10

1.Use the data tables above to compare and contrast your ability to catch the tossed item with and without the goggles on.

2. When did you have the most difficulty catching the item? When did you have the least difficulty? What does this tell you about how alcohol influences both your reaction time and your ability to locate moving objects?

Part III A: Reaction Time (Practice)

Use your Chromebooks to access the online game “Escapa!” The link can be found on my page of the Damien website. The goal of the game is to click and hold the red block and prevent it from being hit by the blue blocks. Practice a few times so you are comfortable with how to play the game.

1. Did you find this game difficult? Why or why not?

Part III B: Reaction Time (Data Collection)

You will now begin to collect data on the game as you continue to play it. Play the game 10 times without goggles on, 10 times with the buzzed goggles on, and 10 times with the fully inebriated goggles on. Record your survival time for each individual attempt in the tables below.

No Goggles

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

Buzzed Goggles

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

Fully Inebriated Goggles

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

2. Create a line graph using the data above. Put attempts on the x-axis and survival time on the y-axis. Be sure to label the y-axis in decimal increments. Use three separate pen colors (one for each data table above).

3.Evaluate the graphed data. What happened to your reaction time as you played the game with the goggles on? Was there any improvement over your attempts?

4. Based on the data, what can you conclude about how alcohol affects your reaction time? How does vision play a role in your ability to react to changing situations quickly?