Effects of using multiple hands and fingers on haptic performance in individuals who are blind
Persistent URL
Author(s)
Morash, Valerie
Connell Pensky, Allison
Tseng, Steven
Miele, Joshua
Date Issued
June 3, 2014
Abstract
In a previous paper we documented that sighted participants complete haptic tasks faster with two hands and multiple fingers, but that these benefits are task specific. The present study investigates whether these effects are the same for participants who are blind. We compared the performance of fourteen blind participants on seven tactile-map tasks using seven finger conditions. As with sighted participants, blind participants performed all tasks faster with multiple fingers. Line-tracing tasks were faster with fingers added to an already in-use hand, and sometimes when added to the second hand. Local and global search tasks were faster with multiple fingers and two hands. Distance comparison tasks were performed faster with multiple fingers, but not two hands. Lastly, moving in a straight line was faster with multiple fingers. These results reinforce our previous finding that the haptic system performs best when it can exploit the independence of multiple fingers. Furthermore, in every instance that an effect was different between sighted and blind participants, the blind participants benefitted more from two hands or multiple fingers than the sighted participants. This indicates that the blind participants have learned, through experience or training, how to best take advantage of multiple fingers during haptic tasks.
Journal
Perception
Department
Neuroscience
Psychology
Citation
Morash V S, Connell Pensky A E, Tseng S T W, Miele J A, 2014, "Effects of using multiple hands and fingers on haptic performance in individuals who are blind" Perception 43(6) 569 – 588
Publisher
Pion
Version of Article
Published article
Embargo
This article will be available to the public beginning September 29, 2015 due to an embargo.
DOI
10.1068/p7712
ISSN
0301-0066
1468-4233
Rights
Morash V S, Connell Pensky A E, Tseng S T W, Miele J A, 2014. The definitive, peer-reviewed and edited version of this article is published in Perception, 43 (6), 569 - 588, 2014, doi:10.1068/p7712.
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Name
Connell Perception 2014.pdf
Description
Published Article
Size
928.26 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
330c90dacba84da6bf94cc1950663a4d