Publication Date
Spring 2018
Advisor(s) - Committee Chair
J. Farley Norman (Director), Andrew Mienaltowski, and Matthew Shake
Degree Program
Department of Psychological Sciences
Degree Type
Master of Science
Abstract
In the current study 24 younger adults and 24 older adults haptically discriminated natural 3-D shapes (bell peppers, Capsicum annuum) using unimanual (one hand used to explore two objects) and bimanual (both hands used, but each hand explored separate objects) successive exploration. Haptic exploration using just one hand requires somatosensory processing in only one cerebral hemisphere (the hemisphere contralateral to the hand being used), while bimanual haptic exploration requires somatosensory processing in both hemispheres. Previous studies related to curvature/shape perception have found either an advantage for unimanual exploration over bimanual exploration or no difference between the two conditions. In contrast to the results of previous studies that found an advantage for unimanual exploration, the current study found that unimanual and bimanual haptic exploration produced equivalent shape discrimination performance. The current results also document a significant effect of age on haptic shape discrimination: older adults exhibited moderately reduced shape discrimination performance compared to younger adults, regardless of the mode of exploration (unimanual or bimanual).
Disciplines
Cognition and Perception | Cognitive Neuroscience | Developmental Psychology
Recommended Citation
Dowell, Catherine Jane, "Unimanual and Bimanual Haptic Shape Discrimination" (2018). Masters Theses & Specialist Projects. Paper 2074.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/2074
Included in
Cognition and Perception Commons, Cognitive Neuroscience Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons