The effects of curvature on haptic judgments of extent in sighted and blind people. 2008

Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
Department of Psychology, 119 Physical Sciences Building, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920, USA. maheller@eiu.edu

A series of experiments was carried out to examine the effect of curvature on haptic judgments of extent in sighted and blind individuals. Experiment 1 showed that diameters connecting the endpoints of semicircular lines were underestimated with respect to straight lines, but failed to show an effect of visual experience on length judgments. In experiment 2 we tested are lengths. The effects of curvature on perceived path length were weaker, but were still present in this experiment. Visual experience had no effect on path length judgments. Another experiment was performed to examine the effect of repeated tracing (1, 5, 9, or unlimited number of traces) on judgments of the lengths of straight lines and diameters of semicircles. Judgments of extent were more accurate when subjects engaged in larger numbers of traces. There was no effect of number of traces on curve-height judgments, suggesting that subjects were not using height estimates to judge diameters of semicircles. In a further experiment we tested the effect of number of traces on curves that varied in height. Restricting subjects to a single trace magnified the effect of path length on judgments of the distance between the endpoints of curves. Additional experiments showed that curvature effects on diameter judgments were not eliminated when stimuli were in the frontal plane or when the curves were explored with the use of two hands. Arm support had no effect on judged length in experiment 7. A final experiment showed a robust horizontal vertical illusion in haptic perception of convex curves, with overestimation of the heights of the curves compared with their widths. The practical and theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007088 Illusions The misinterpretation of a real external, sensory experience. Autokinetic Effect,Autokinetic Illusions,Effect, Autokinetic,Illusions, Auditory,Illusions, Kinesthetic,Illusions, Tactile,Illusions, Visual,Auditory Illusion,Auditory Illusions,Autokinetic Effects,Autokinetic Illusion,Effects, Autokinetic,Illusion,Illusion, Auditory,Illusion, Autokinetic,Illusion, Kinesthetic,Illusion, Tactile,Illusion, Visual,Illusions, Autokinetic,Kinesthetic Illusion,Kinesthetic Illusions,Tactile Illusion,Tactile Illusions,Visual Illusion,Visual Illusions
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D001766 Blindness The inability to see or the loss or absence of perception of visual stimuli. This condition may be the result of EYE DISEASES; OPTIC NERVE DISEASES; OPTIC CHIASM diseases; or BRAIN DISEASES affecting the VISUAL PATHWAYS or OCCIPITAL LOBE. Amaurosis,Bilateral Blindness,Blindness, Bilateral,Blindness, Legal,Blindness, Monocular,Blindness, Unilateral,Sudden Visual Loss,Unilateral Blindness,Blindness, Acquired,Blindness, Complete,Blindness, Hysterical,Blindness, Transient,Acquired Blindness,Amauroses,Bilateral Blindnesses,Complete Blindness,Hysterical Blindness,Legal Blindness,Monocular Blindness,Sudden Visual Losses,Transient Blindness,Visual Loss, Sudden
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D000704 Analysis of Variance A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable. ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D012858 Size Perception The sensory interpretation of the dimensions of objects. Perception, Size,Perceptions, Size,Size Perceptions

Related Publications

Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
April 1972, Journal of experimental psychology,
Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
April 1974, Journal of experimental psychology,
Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
January 2002, Perception,
Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
May 2007, Perception & psychophysics,
Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
November 1981, American journal of mental deficiency,
Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
February 1976, Psychological research,
Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
March 2016, Perception,
Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
October 2008, Perception & psychophysics,
Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
December 1973, Journal of experimental psychology,
Morton A Heller, and Astrid M L Kappers, and Melissa McCarthy, and Ashley Clark, and Tara Riddle, and Erin Fulkerson, and Lindsay Wemple, and Anne McClure Walk, and Andreana Basso, and Crystal Wanek, and Kristen Russler
September 2008, Neuropsychologia,
Copied contents to your clipboard!