Effect of Auditory Interference on Memory of Haptic Perceptions

Abstract

The effect of auditory interference on the processing of haptic information by visually impaired students was the focus of the research described in this article. It was assumed that as the auditory interference approximated the verbalized activity of the haptic task, accuracy of recall would decline. The level of accuracy achieved in the recall of the arrangement, texture, and geometric shape of the object, comprised the data base for this evaluation. It was found that haptic information is processed independently of any type of auditory interference, haptic recall is time dependent, and delayed recall is significantly more accurate than immediate recall of the geometric arrangement. These results were not found when an identical task was presented to blindfolded students.