Perceptual–motor influences on stair walking: The roles of conscious control and environmental context
Abstract
Introduction:
Stair falls are the leading cause of accidental death among older adults. A psychological factor that may contribute to unsafe stair negotiation is conscious movement processing (CMP), the tendency to consciously monitor and control movement execution. Higher CMP in older adults has been associated with prolonged stance and double-support times and less accurate foot placement during level ground stepping. Its role during stair negotiation and the influence of perceived stair steepness remains unclear. As an initial step, this study examined associations between CMP, perceived stair steepness, and stair-walking behaviour in young, healthy adults.
Methods:
Participants (n=12, 5 males, mean age=22) completed the Movement-Specific Reinvestment Scale, which quantifies propensity for CMP, and estimated stair steepness from both top and bottom using a handheld device that required them to visually match the slope on the device to the (perceived) slope of the stairs. Participants completed five stair-ascent and stair-descent trials using a laboratory staircase. Spatiotemporal gait parameters, including stance times, foot placement, step lengths, and ground reaction forces, were recorded using motion-capture and step-embedded force plates.
Results:
Data collection is ongoing (target n=40), so no inferential conclusions can yet be drawn. Preliminary analysis (n=12) using Pearson’s correlation coefficient suggests: (1) a moderate association between CMP and stair-descent times (r=.5), with higher CMP scores linked to longer descent times, and (2) a weak association between CMP and initial step lengths (r=-.27), with higher CMP linked to shorter steps when approaching the staircase.
Conclusion:
These results suggest a potential link between CMP and stair-walking behaviour, with higher CMP associated with more cautious stair ambulation. Establishing whether CMP is associated with specific gait adaptations during stair negotiation in young adults represents an important first step toward understanding how similar mechanisms may contribute to unsafe stair behaviour and fall risk in older or clinical populations.