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Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of training blind students in shape recognition accuracy and speed and accuracy of locating shapes on a tactile map by using a distinctive features analysis strategy and line tracing. In Experiment 1, training significantly improved the shape-recognition performance of a group of 25 trained braille readers, as compared to a matched group of 25 untrained braille readers. In Experiment 2, 21 trained students (as compared to a matched group of 21 untrained students) showed a significant increase in the number of shapes located and a significant decrease in the average time to locate a shape on a tactile map. Results are discussed in terms of the critical importance of training blind students to be analytical, systematic, and complete in exploring tactile materials so as to ensure adequate development of their perceptual-conceptual abilities.A series of studies investigating the effects of stimulus parameters and methods of exploring shapes (Berld, 1972; Berla, 1974; Berld & Murr, 1972) found that tactual shape discrimination performance was quite poor by blind children in grades 1-6. Three, striking observations were made concerning the blind child's inspection of tactile shapes. First, many of the children failed to completely explore the entire tactile shape, and many inspected only a small portion of a shape. Second, the overwhelming majority of the students had no systematic method for exploring shapes. Third, some subjects did trace the entire shape, but did not appear to realize at what point on the shape they had begun tracing and at what point on the shape they had completed their tracing.

The concept of hedonic damages for loss of pleasure of life has been developed by forensic cases up to and including Molzof v. United States (1992). One instrument available for assessment in this area, the Lost Pleasure of Life (LPL) scale, was refined through development of a rating matrix consisting of 37 behavioral anchors which experts had categorized into progressive levels of loss. Using brief instructions and case examples, mental health clinicians rated 15 written vignettes for loss of pleasure of life resulting from physical injuries. Results indicated moderate reliability (ICC R = .65 to .70) and moderately high correlation (r ≥ .86) between rank orderings of the case vignettes based on LPL ratings given by the clinicians and on financial awards for each case given by undergraduate students.

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A primary purpose of maps is to convey information about space and spatial relationships. This study was an attempt to determine whether specific training in scanning a tactile display would enable blind students to more effectively organize the spatial relationships presented than would students not so trained.Thirty-six braille students in grades 4 to 12 were asked to inspect a tactile display consisting of 9 removable symbols. After inspection, the 9 symbols were removed and the students were asked to replace the parts in their correct location. There were 2 groups: a control group that received no training and an experimental group that was trained to systematically search the display using a vertical search technique.The results showed that the students in the lower grade levels benefited most from the training and were superior to the control group in the same grades. However, training interfered with the performance of the students in the upper grade levels (10 to 12), with the control group performing better than the experimental group. Apparently, training is most effective before strong habits have been established.A primary purpose of diagrams and maps is to convey information about space and spatial relationships. For the blind student, the major modality for obtaining information about spatial relationships is the tactual-kinesthetic sense. Consequently, tactile diagrams and maps are potentially important educational tools in educating blind students about the nature of their environment. However, the tactual-kinesthetic sense is less adequate than vision in acquiring information from displays, primarily because of its piecemeal, fragmentary, and serial nature. This, in part, could account for the difficulty many blind students have in reading and using tactile diagrams and maps.The present study focused on the scanning behavior of blind students and the effect of this behavior on their memory of a tactile display. Previous research (Berl~, 1973; Berld & Murr, 1974) has shown that scanning a tactile display with a vertical search pattern was an effective way of locating symbols on a display. The present study attempted to determine whether specific training in the use of a vertical search technique would enable blind students to more effectively remember the spatial relationships presented on a tactile dis-