Date of Award
Spring 6-8-2016
Document Type
Honors Project
University Scholars Director
Dr. Jeff Keuss
First Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Cara Wall-Scheffler
Second Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Michelle Casad
Keywords
locomotion, front loading, walking behavior, arm loading, dual tool
Abstract
The energy expenditure during load-carrying depends on the mass of the load, the position of the load on the body, and if tools are used to help transfer the load. When the load being carried is a human child, strategies employed to cope with the increased energetic burden should include males carrying older and heavier children, arm use decreasing as children become older, and tool use increasing as children become older. To uncover whether people make energetically-mediated decisions to carry children, 236 adult males and 314 adult females were observed walking around parks in Seattle, WA, while carrying a child. Details recorded included position of the child, what tools were available to carry the child, the adult’s relationship to the child, and the child’s sex and age. Males, when carrying, carried male children significantly more often (p < 0.001). Dual tool use increased significantly between 7-12 months and 18-24 months (p < 0.001). This study indicated that people will tend to make more energetically efficient decisions in carrying, but might be willing to pay extra energy costs to increase bonding or physical contact with the child and for more comfortable carrying positions.
Recommended Citation
Benjamin, Gailynn, "Human locomotion: examining energy costs and human behavior associated with load-carrying" (2016). Honors Projects. 38.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/honorsprojects/38
Copyright Status
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Additional Rights Information
Copyright held by author.
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Comments
A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the University Scholars Program