[Artbeyondsightmuseums] New book: Psychology of Touch and Blindness

[Lisa Yayla]

Hi,

Sending information about Prof. Heller's new book,

Psychology of Touch and Blindness
This book reviews the considerable body of research that has been done to
evaluate the touch skills of blind people. With an emphasis on cognitive and
neuroscientific approaches, it encompasses a wide-ranging discussion of the
theoretical issues in the field of touch perception and blindness.
The volume includes chapters on sensory aspects of touch, perception in blind
individuals, multimodal relations and their implications for instruction and
development, and new technology, including sensory aids and virtual touch. A
distinctive feature of the book is the inclusion of the practical applications of
research in this area.
A significant characteristic of research on touch and imagery in congenitally
blind individuals is that it speaks to the basic nature of spatial imagery and
the importance and necessity -- or lack thereof -- of specific visual sensory
experience for the acquisition of knowledge about space, spatial layout, and
picture perception. As such, the book will not only appeal to researchers
and professionals with an interest in touch and blindness, but also to a wider
audience of cognitive psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists working in the
field of perception.
Selected Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Historical and Philosophical Background. 2. Cognitive
Neuroscience of Touch. 3 The Haptic Perception of Objects and their Properties.
4. Illusions. 5. Intermodal Relations. 6. Development of Haptic Perception over
the Life-Span. 7. Blindness: General Introduction Patt ern Perception, Imagery,
Spatial Orientation, and Mobility. 8. Picture Perception and Blind People. 9.
Braille and New Technology. 10. Haptics in Learning Reading, Handwriting and
Mathematics. 11. Tactile Interfaces and Applications. 12. General Conclusions:
Implications of Current Research for Theory and Applications.
About the Authors
Morton A. Heller is Professor Emeritus and the former chair of the Psychology Department at Eastern Illinois University.
He has edited four books on touch and blindness. Dr. Heller has served on the Editorial Board of Perception, and is an action editor for the journal. He has interests in spatial perception and drawing in blind and sighted people, the relationship between the senses of vision and touch, spatial memory, and illusions in touch and vision.
Edouard Gentaz is Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
at the University of Geneva and Director of Research at the CNRS Laboratory of Psychology and Neurocognition at Grenoble. His research, which has theoretical and applied dimensions, focuses in particular on the development of sensori-motor and cognitive abilities in typical populations and in blind people. He is the author or co-author of more than 80 articles in refereed journals and several books.

Regards,

Lisa



-Scanned by Exchange Hosted Services-