Early Visual Deprivation Severely Compromises the Auditory Sense of Space in Congenitally Blind Children
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| Title: | Early Visual Deprivation Severely Compromises the Auditory Sense of Space in Congenitally Blind Children |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Vercillo, Tiziana, Burr, David, Gori, Monica |
| Source: | Developmental Psychology. Jun 2016 52(6):847-853. |
| Availability: | American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 7 |
| Publication Date: | 2016 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Congenital Impairments, Blindness, Children, Auditory Perception, Spatial Ability, Auditory Discrimination, Age, Task Analysis, Accuracy, Experiments, Foreign Countries |
| Geographic Terms: | Italy |
| DOI: | 10.1037/dev0000103 |
| ISSN: | 0012-1649 |
| Abstract: | A recent study has shown that congenitally blind adults, who have never had visual experience, are impaired on an auditory spatial bisection task (Gori, Sandini, Martinoli, & Burr, 2014). In this study we investigated how thresholds for auditory spatial bisection and auditory discrimination develop with age in sighted and congenitally blind children (9 to 14 years old). Children performed 2 spatial tasks (minimum audible angle and space bisection) and 1 temporal task (temporal bisection). There was no impairment in the temporal task for blind children but, like adults, they showed severely compromised thresholds for spatial bisection. Interestingly, the blind children also showed lower precision in judging minimum audible angle. These results confirm the adult study and go on to suggest that even simpler auditory spatial tasks are compromised in children, and that this capacity recovers over time. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 48 |
| Entry Date: | 2016 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1102398 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | A recent study has shown that congenitally blind adults, who have never had visual experience, are impaired on an auditory spatial bisection task (Gori, Sandini, Martinoli, & Burr, 2014). In this study we investigated how thresholds for auditory spatial bisection and auditory discrimination develop with age in sighted and congenitally blind children (9 to 14 years old). Children performed 2 spatial tasks (minimum audible angle and space bisection) and 1 temporal task (temporal bisection). There was no impairment in the temporal task for blind children but, like adults, they showed severely compromised thresholds for spatial bisection. Interestingly, the blind children also showed lower precision in judging minimum audible angle. These results confirm the adult study and go on to suggest that even simpler auditory spatial tasks are compromised in children, and that this capacity recovers over time. |
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| ISSN: | 0012-1649 |
| DOI: | 10.1037/dev0000103 |
