Motivational consequences influence obstacle crossing strategies

Young adults are likely to experience fewer physical consequences and less psychological stress associated with falls, despite frequent tripping and falling. Negative consequences associated with a task can stimulate anxiety, altering the obstacle crossing approach. This study employed motivational consequences of time and money to investigate how simulated anxiety alters obstacle crossing in young adults. We hypothesized negative motivational consequences would elicit more successful and cautious obstacle crossings. Sixty young adults, randomized into control and consequence groups, crossed obstacles while three-dimensional motion capture measured trajectories and joint kinematics during obstacle avoidance. The control group was 3.44 times more likely to contact an obstacle than the consequence group, demonstrating the consequences resulted in more successful crossings. Further, the consequence group adopted a more cautious avoidance strategy, exhibited by greater foot clearance and greater crossing step lengths, despite the consistent task constraints. These findings illustrate the importance of motivation and perceived consequences in obstacle crossing.