Abstract
Wielding an object makes it possible to perceive many physical properties of the object without visualizing it. The purpose of this study was to examine developmental changes of haptic exploration, which is called 'dynamic touch' and is based on Perceptual Systems Theory (Gibson, 1966). The particular focus was on variability in grip patterns and swinging patterns, because the variability associated with skill mastery within and across individuals indicated that the system was moving toward greater stability. Participants in the experiment, 21 elementary school children and 14 college students, reported their perceptions of rod length by dynamic touch. The results indicated that the children explored grip patterns, and college students explored ways to wield the rod. Implications for future research on dynamic touch were also discussed.
