Object representation in visual/haptic crossmodal memory
Single Paper Presentation

Simon Lacey
Southampton Solent University

Christine Campbell
Southampton Solent University

     Abstract ID Number: 99
     Full text: Not available
     Last modified: March 17, 2006
     Presentation date: 06/19/2006 4:00 PM in Hamilton Building, Foyer
     (View Schedule)

Abstract
How can objects perceived solely by touch be recognised solely by vision and vice versa? Recent behavioural studies into the format of the representation of objects in visual/haptic crossmodal memory have provided findings suggestive of multisensory representations for familiar objects as well as spatial representations for unfamiliar objects (Lacey & Campbell, Q J Exp Psychol, 2006). Visual and verbal interference during both visual and haptic encoding significantly reduced subsequent crossmodal recognition of unfamiliar objects, but not familiar ones. Haptic interference had no effect. This suggests that encoding in the haptic as well as visual modality could depend on visual representations, and could potentially be mediated by covert verbal descriptions during encoding. In a follow-up study, we found that spatial interference tasks during either encoding or retrieval disrupted crossmodal memory, whilst non-spatial interference had no effect. The modality of spatial interference, whether visual or haptic, made no difference. This work points to a common spatial representation underlying both visual and haptic object recognition.