Cognitive map formation through haptic and visual exploration of tactile city-like maps

Ottink, Loes; Hoogendonk, Marit; Doeller, Christian F.; Geest, Thea M. van der; Wezel, R.J.A. van

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-94778-1

Cited by 20 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Crucially, for the first time, the current study identifies mental transformation strategies in the haptic domain and supports results from studies in the visual domain 5 , 13 . Given that similar strategies can be found in adults’ spatial scaling across different modalities, our findings support the notion of functional equivalence of cognitive map formation and processing from touch and vision 28 – 30 . Additionally, we observed directional bias in adults’ localization errors as indicated by adults’ signed errors.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Based on evidence suggesting abstract (spatial) representations across the auditory and haptic modality in the human brain 26 as well as for the visual and haptic modality 27 , it seems reasonable that participants may apply mental transformation strategies in the haptic domain. This expectation is supported by studies proposing functional equivalence of spatial representations from touch and vision 28 – 30 . Furthermore, it was shown that blindfolded adults showed a tendency to visualize even non-visual stimuli 31 – 34 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 64%

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Blindfolded adults use mental transformation strategies for spatial scaling of tactile maps

Szubielska

Möhring

2022

Sci Rep

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The current study tested strategies of spatial scaling in the haptic domain. Blindfolded adults (N = 31, aged 20–24 years) were presented with an embossed graphic including a target and asked to encode a target location on this map, imagine this map at a given scale, and to localize a target at the same spot on an empty referent space. Maps varied in three different sizes whereas the referent space had a constant size, resulting in three different scaling factors (1:1, 1:2, 1:4). Participants’ response times and localization errors were measured. Analyses indicated that both response times and errors increased with higher scaling factors, suggesting the usage of mental transformation stratergies for spatial scaling. Overall, the present study provides a suitable, novel methodology to assess spatial scaling in the haptic domain.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Blindfolded adults use mental transformation strategies for spatial scaling of tactile maps

Szubielska

Möhring

2022

Sci Rep

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“…All participants were able to infer routes with varying levels of complexity, supporting the idea that cognitive map formation is possible using visual and tactile sensory modalities 46,47 and that blind individuals, regardless of visual experience, can form allocentric spatial representations of unfamiliar environments 46 . However, EB and SC route performance with tactile 2D mazes shed light on signi cant disadvantages of using tactile maps to support cognitive map formation.…”

Section: Impact Of 3d Tactile Information On Cognitive Map Formationmentioning

confidence: 58%

Cognitive map formation in the blind is enhanced by three-dimensional tactile information

Bleau¹,

Acker²,

Nemargut³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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For blind individuals, tactile maps are useful tools to form cognitive maps through touch. However, they still experience challenges in cognitive map formation and independent navigation. Three-dimensional (3D) tactile information is thus increasingly being considered to convey enriched spatial information, but it remains unclear if it can facilitate cognitive map formation compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) tactile information. Consequently, the present study investigated the impact of the type of sensory input (tactile vs. visual) on cognitive map formation. To do so, early blind (EB, n=13), late blind (LB, n=12), and sighted (SC, n=14) participants were tasked to learn the layouts of mazes produced with different sensory information (visual vs. tactile 2D vs. tactile 3D) and to infer routes from memory. Results show that EB only manifested stronger cognitive map formation with 3D mazes. LB performed equally well with 2D and 3D mazes, and SC manifested equivalent cognitive map formation with visual and 3D tactile mazes. 3D tactile maps therefore have the potential to improve spatial learning for EB and newly blind individuals through a reduction of cognitive overload. Installation of 3D tactile maps in public spaces should be considered to promote universal accessibility and reduce blind individuals’ wayfinding deficits related to the inaccessibility of spatial information through non-visual means.

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“…Comparison of visually and haptically guided production of drawings may refer to the functional equivalence of haptic and vision in representing spatial information (Giudice et al, 2011;Loomis et al, 2013;Ottink et al, 2021). Suppose the processing of information about the shape and size of objects is functionally equivalent to touch and vision.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Size and Quality of Drawings Made by Adults Under Visual and Haptic Control

2022

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The aim of this study was twofold. First, our objective was to test the influence of an object’s actual size (size rank) on the drawn size of the depicted object. We tested the canonical size effect (i.e., drawing objects larger in the physical world as larger) in four drawing conditions — two perceptual conditions (blindfolded or sighted) crossed with two materials (paper or special foil for producing embossed drawings). Second, we investigated whether drawing quality (we analysed both the local and global criteria of quality) depends on drawing conditions. We predicted that drawing quality, unlike drawing size, would vary according to drawing conditions — namely, being higher when foil than paper was used for drawing production in the blindfolded condition. We tested these hypotheses with young adults who repeatedly drew eight different familiar objects (differentiated by size in the real world) in four drawing conditions. As expected, drawn size increased linearly with increasing size rank, whatever the drawing condition, thus replicating the canonical size effect and showing that this effect was not dependent on drawing conditions. In line with our hypothesis, in the blindfolded condition drawing quality was better when foil rather than paper was used, suggesting a benefit from haptic feedback on the trace produced. Besides, the quality of drawings produced was still higher in the sighted than the blindfolded condition. In conclusion, canonical size is present under different drawing conditions regardless of whether sight is involved or not, while perceptual control increases drawing quality in adults.

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Cognitive map formation through haptic and visual exploration of tactile city-like maps

Cited by 20 publications

References 54 publications

Blindfolded adults use mental transformation strategies for spatial scaling of tactile maps

Blindfolded adults use mental transformation strategies for spatial scaling of tactile maps

Cognitive map formation in the blind is enhanced by three-dimensional tactile information

Size and Quality of Drawings Made by Adults Under Visual and Haptic Control

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