Samuel Carey

My work revolves around the integration of the human Cognitive, Sensory, and Motor systems. Through the lens of postural control, I study how stability and adaptability change when the human sensory environment and cognitive networks are manipulated.

The human sensory, cognitive, and motor systems are often discussed as independent pieces of a greater whole and typically studied in such contexts. However, humans rely on all three of these systems to work in tandem to receive, process, and select any and all information necessary to navigate the environment around us (Gibson, 1996; Shumway-Cook & Horak, 1986; Straube, et al., 1988; van der Kooij, et al., 1999). As Gibson (1966) said: ‘human behavior depends on posture and is inseparable from it.’ The maintenance of postural control and stability is a fundamental requirement for task success in a majority of our daily lives. Thus, postural stabilization is not an end in itself but is valuable primarily to the extent that it facilitates the achievement of countless goals throughout the human lifespan (Riccio & Stoffregen, 1988). My works goal is to shed more light on the importance of studying human behavior within environmental states that humans will experience throughout their daily lives, while showing the relevancy of more ecologically sound research in order to fully understand the intricacies of human behavior.