Next, the information is routed to the temporal lobe, also known as the 'what system' because it identifies the object.Įvidence from recent brain-imaging experiments indicates that blind people's brains harness this same neural circuitry. From there, it goes to the parietal lobe, sometimes referred to as the 'where system' because it generates awareness of a sensed object's location.

An introductory chapter sets the theoretical and historical stage for the debate, and a concluding chapter draws together the different views and ideas set forth by the contributors, summarizing and resolving the discussion.In sighted people, visual information first goes to the visual cortex, which is located in the occipital lobe at the back of the brain. New to the Debates in Psychology series, Touch, Representation, and Blindness brings together the leading investigators in these areas, each presenting the evidence for their side of the debate. Others suggest that there are important consequences of a lack of visual experience, arguing for the importance of multiple forms of sensory input for conceptual development. Some psychologists argue that touch can do many of the things that are accomplished by vision, and claim that the mode of sensory stimulation is not critically important for perception, arguing that much information can be obtained through non-visual modalities. In addition, psychologists differ in the relative importance they place on the modality of sensory stimulation for subsequent perceptual experiences. Others adopt a theoretical perspective, arguing that it not necessary to consider the 'internal representation' of the stimuli, when investigating touch - thus people make use of information from the physical biomechanical properties of their limbs as they assess the physical properties of objects. Many researchers have taken a cognitive approach to the study of touch and blindness, relating these to higher order processes, such as memory and concept formation. Within this field there remains an important theoretical divide. Psychological studies of touch and blindness have been fraught with controversy.

Oxford Research Encyclopedias: Global Public Health.

The European Society of Cardiology Series.Oxford Commentaries on International Law.

Touch and Blindness by Morton A. Heller