Reactive postural control refers to which behavior?

• A. Maintaining steady state during quiet standing
• B. Predicting and preparing for destabilizing actions
• C. Responding to perturbations after they occur
• D. Voluntarily initiating movement

Answer: (C)

Reactive postural control is about how the body uses feedback to restore balance after a destabilizing disturbance. When a perturbation occurs, the nervous system rapidly engages muscle responses to bring the center of mass back over the base of support, often with quick ankle or hip strategies and sometimes a protective step if needed.

This differs from maintaining steady-state during quiet standing, which is keeping balance in a stable, unchallenged condition. It also differs from anticipatory or proactive postural control, which involves predicting and preparing for destabilizing actions before they happen. Voluntarily initiating movement is about general motor planning, not the automatic corrections used to recover from an unexpected perturbation.