Several studies have examined different types of visual abilities following profound deafness, but lacked to investigate temporal processing in this population as a possible emerging change after long-term sensory deprivation. The present study tested the ability to make unspeeded temporal order judgments (TOJs) for pairs of visual stimuli in 9 profound deaf participants and 12 normal-hearing controls. Both groups judged which of two visual stimuli appeared first. Stimuli were presented on a screen on opposite sides with respect to central fixation at 10 different stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). There were three different spatial arrangements on azimuth: both peri-foveal (at 3 degrees from fixation), both peripheral (at 8 degrees from fixation) or asymmetrical (the first peri-foveal and the second peripheral, or vice versa). Both groups showed comparable performances in the visual TOJ task. In particular, both groups performed better for central than peripheral pair of stimuli, and when the first stimulus appeared at central locations in asymmetrical pairs. These findings challenge the notion that auditory deprivation affects temporal processing abilities in the spared sensory modalities, and reveal that visual processing is not enhanced at peripheral than peri-foveal locations in the deaf group, contrarily to previous findings in the literature.

Comparable visual temporal-orderjudgment abilities in profoundly deaf and normal-hearing individuals

Bottari D;
2007-01-01

Abstract

Several studies have examined different types of visual abilities following profound deafness, but lacked to investigate temporal processing in this population as a possible emerging change after long-term sensory deprivation. The present study tested the ability to make unspeeded temporal order judgments (TOJs) for pairs of visual stimuli in 9 profound deaf participants and 12 normal-hearing controls. Both groups judged which of two visual stimuli appeared first. Stimuli were presented on a screen on opposite sides with respect to central fixation at 10 different stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). There were three different spatial arrangements on azimuth: both peri-foveal (at 3 degrees from fixation), both peripheral (at 8 degrees from fixation) or asymmetrical (the first peri-foveal and the second peripheral, or vice versa). Both groups showed comparable performances in the visual TOJ task. In particular, both groups performed better for central than peripheral pair of stimuli, and when the first stimulus appeared at central locations in asymmetrical pairs. These findings challenge the notion that auditory deprivation affects temporal processing abilities in the spared sensory modalities, and reveal that visual processing is not enhanced at peripheral than peri-foveal locations in the deaf group, contrarily to previous findings in the literature.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11771/7271
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