Citation for published version:Scheller, M, Proulx, M & Petrini, K 2017, 'Development of non-visual multisensory integration in sighted and non-sighted individuals', European Conference on Visual Perception, 2017, Berlin, 27/08/17.

Publication date:2017

Link to publication

University of Bath

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References:ErnstM.O.,BanksM.S.(2002):Humansintegratevisualandhap6cinforma6oninasta6s6callyop6malfashion.Nature415:429-433.GoriM.,DelVivaM.,SandiniG.,BurrD.C.(2008):Youngchildrendonotintegratevisualandhap6cforminforma6on.CurrBiol.18(9):694-698.PetriniK.,RemarkA.,SmithL.,NardiniM.(2014):Whenvisionisnotanop6on:children’sintegra6onofauditoryandhap6cinforma6onissubop6mal.DevSci.17(3):376-387.SchellerM.,PetriniK.,ProulxM.J.(inpress):Percep6onandInterac6vetechnologies.InJ.T.Wixted&J.Serences(Eds),TheStevens’HandbookofExperimentalPsychologyandCogniIveNeuroscience(4thEdi6on,Volume2:Sensa6on&Percep6on).NewYork:Wiley.

Preliminaryresults ConclusionandOutlook

Moreprecise

Lessprecise

0

1

2

3

4

5

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5713≥18Age(years)

0

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4

5

0 1 2 3 4 5

Discrim

ina6

onThresho

ld(m

m)

SoundTouchBimodalMLE

Age(years)8-1011-1213-14≥18

MethodDiscrimina6onthreshold

123456mm

Moreprecise Lessprecise

ParOcipants&Recruitment

MulOsensorybenefit

MulOsensorybenefitInfluenceofvisiononthedevelopmentofop6malcombina6onofhearingandtouch

Adults(>18years) Children(7-14years)

Sighted

48(UniversityofBath,generalpublic)

48(Localschool,generalpublic)

Blind/VisuallyImpaired(early&lateonset)

48(MoorfieldsEyeHospital,SensorySupportServiceBristol,generalpublic)

48(MoorfieldsEyeHospital,WESCExeter,SensorySupportServiceBristol,generalpublic)

IntroducOon

Duringthisdevelopmentalprocessvisualinforma6onseemstoplayanimportantroleduringdevelopmentforthecalibra6onof

senses(Gorietal.,2008).Hence,wearetryingtounderstandifblindpeople,whorelyalotonmorehearingandtouch,cancombinethisinforma6onatanearlierageoriftheycannotcombinethisinforma6onatall.

Inordertoperceivetheworldaroundus,weocenusemul6plesensesatthesame6metogainasmuchinforma6onaspossible.Ourbrainscombinethisinforma6onina‘sta6s6callyop6mal’way–thishelpsusgegngthemostpreciseperceptwecan

possiblyget(Ernst&Banks,2002).However,inordertoassessobjectsize,childrendonotcombinehearingandtouchinforma6oninanop6malfashionuptoeleven

yearsofage(Petrinietal.,2014).

Sta6s6callyop6malcombina6onoftouchandhearing

Noop6malcombina6onoftouchandhearing11-12years Blindness

Development

123456mm

123456mm

Soundonly

Bimodal

Touchonly

MeikeScheller,MichaelProulx,KarinPetriniDepartmentofPsychology,UniversityofBath

NormallySighted(n=61) VisuallyImpaired/Blind(n=3)

Adultscombinetouchandhearingop6mally.Childrenbelowtheageof13donot.

Theadultcombinestouchandhearingnearop6mally.Both

children,aged7and13,donot.

Developmentofmul6sensoryintegra6onInsightedandnon-sightedindividuals

Ournewmethodhasbeenshowntosuccessfullymeasuresta6s6callyop6malmul6sensoryintegra6oninsightedadults.ItreplicatesandextendsthefindingsfromPetrinietal.,2014,despiteusingdifferent

psychophysicalmeasuresandpar6cipants.Typicallysightedadultsintegrateaudio-hap6csizeinforma6onina

sta6s6callyop6malfashion,whilechildrendon’tintegratebeforeadolescence.

Verypreliminarydatasuggeststhatvisuallyimpaired/blindchildrenexpressastrongerhap6cdominancethansightedchildren,andthattheydon’tintegratenon-visualinforma6onearlier.However,one(late)blindadultshowedintegra6oncomparabletotypicallysightedindividuals.

Understandingwhenop6malintegra6onofsoundandtouchemergesin

theabsenceofvisionisfundamentaltodevelopnew,orenhanceavailableassis6vetechnologiesthattranslatevisualinforma6onintotouch

andsound(Scheller,Petrini,Proulx,inpress).Itfurtherdeepensourunderstandingaboutdevelopmentalmechanismsbeforeop6mal

integra6onemerges.

MeikeScheller,PhDStudentDepartmentofPsychology,UniversityofBathm.scheller@bath.ac.uk

MethodbuildonPetrinietal.(2014).MethodhasbeenmodifiedusingaPsiadap6vestaircase

Discrimina6onThreshold(m

m)