Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Affordances in the design of enactive systems

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Virtual Reality Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Enactive interfaces must incorporate intuitive activity that characterizes naturalistic perception. However, the manner in which information is presented is not more important than the contents: what information is presented. In this contribution, we address the contents of perception. We argue that people perceive affordances, that is, the possible actions that are available in any given situation. We further argue that enactive interfaces should be designed to optimize presentation of information about the possible actions that are available to a person using the enactive interface. The design of enactive interfaces might be guided by an extension of the theory of ecological interface design (Vicente in Hum Factors 44:62–78, 2002) to include multimodal information that is accessed through fast, intuitive exploratory movement. We review two empirical studies that illustrate our arguments. Careful analysis of affordances, together with our increasing understanding of the enactive perception of affordances, should influence the design of enactive interfaces.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bingham GP, Schmidt RC, Rosenblum LD (1989) Hefting for maximum distance throw: a smart perceptual mechanism. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 15:507–528

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chemero A (2003) An outline of a theory of affordances. Ecol Psychol 15:181–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson JJ (1986) The ecological approach to visual perception. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah (original work published in 1979)

  • Konczak J, Meeuwsen HJ, Cress ME (1992) Changing affordances in stair climbing: the perception of maximum climbability in young and older adults. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 18:691–697

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mantel B, Bardy BG, Stoffregen TA (2005) Intermodal specification of egocentric distance in a target reaching task. In: Heft H, Marsh KL (eds) Studies in perception and action VIII. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, pp 173–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Mark LS, Balliet JA, Craver KD, Douglas SD, Fox T (1990) What an actor must do to perceive the affordance for sitting. Ecol Psychol 2:325–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oudejans RRD, Michaels CF, Bakker FC, Dolne M (1996) The relevance of action in perceiving affordances: perception of catchableness of fly balls. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 22:683–703

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanders JT (1997) An ontology of affordances. Ecol Psychol 9:879–891

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Stoffregen TA (2003a) Affordances are enough: reply to Chemero et al. (2003). Ecol Psychol 15:29–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoffregen TA (2003b) Affordances as properties of the animal–environment system. Ecol Psychol 15:115–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoffregen TA, Bardy BG (2001) On specification and the senses. Behav Brain Sci 24:195–261

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoffregen TA, Gorday K, Sheng YY, Flynn SB (1999) Perceiving affordances for another person’s actions. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 25:120–136

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoffregen TA, Yang CM, Bardy BG (2005) Affordance judgments and nonlocomotor body movement. Ecol Psychol 17:75–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thelen E, Smith LB (1994) A dynamic systems approach to the development of cognition and action. MIT, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Turvey MT (1992) Affordances and prospective control: an outline of the ontology. Ecol Psychol 4:173–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varela FJ, Thompson E, Rosch E (1991) The embodied mind. MIT, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Vicente KJ (2002) Ecological interface design: progress and challenges. Hum Factors 44:62–78

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Warren W (1984) Perceiving affordances: visual guidance of stair climbing. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 10:683–703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yonas A, Hartman B (1993) Perceiving the affordance of contact in four- and five-month old infants. Child Dev 64:298–308

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Supported by Enactive Interfaces, a network of excellence (IST contract #002114) of the Commission of the European Community, the National Science Foundation (BCS-0236627), the University of Paris XI, The University of Montpellier 1, and the Institut Universitaire de France.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota, 1900 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Thomas A. Stoffregen

  2. Faculty of Sport and Movement Sciences, Université Montpellier I, 700 Avenue du Pic Saint Loup, Montpellier, 34090, France

    Benoît G. Bardy & Bruno Mantel

Authors
  1. Thomas A. Stoffregen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Benoît G. Bardy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bruno Mantel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas A. Stoffregen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stoffregen, T.A., Bardy, B.G. & Mantel, B. Affordances in the design of enactive systems. Virtual Reality 10, 4–10 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-006-0025-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-006-0025-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation