Final answer:
A wide stance in a test for station suggests cerebellar dysfunction as the person may be compensating for impaired balance by increasing their base of support.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ability of the person described is assessed by a test for station, which examines balance and coordination often related to cerebellar function. A wide stance might suggest cerebellar issues because a person with impaired balance may widen their feet to increase their base of support, seeking stability. This compensation indicates potential dysfunction within the cerebellum's integration of proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual information that normally enables a person to maintain balance with a narrower stance.
Figure 9.18 (b) illustrates this principle by showing that stability is increased when the base is expanded by placing the feet farther apart; similarly, someone with cerebellar dysfunction might adopt a wider stance involuntarily. This is because humans have a higher center of gravity located above the hip joints which, like a pencil on its eraser, requires fairly precise balance that the cerebellum typically provides.