THE ASSESSMENT AND PROCESSING OF TACTILE SENSORY LEARNING

Abstract

<p>This dissertation examined perturbation effects during complex tactile information transmission. The four experiments provide evidence regarding sensory and information processing demands in early stages of complex tactile learning.</p> <p>Experiment 1 established complex tactile learning behavioural performance. Vibrotactile stimuli representing Morse code letters were communicated to participants with or without induced perturbation to the finger of letter reception. Response performance was measured and augmented feedback was provided retroactively. Perturbation conditions lead to poor performance during tactile acquisition, but improved performance during application of knowledge.</p> <p>Experiment 2 determined if the experiment 1 results demonstrated masking or response competition paradigms. Target “masking” is the reduced ability to detect or interpret a stimuli pattern by presentation of other information (Craig, 1985; Verrillo, 1985). Response competition is the competition or distraction from target response generation by secondary stimuli (Craig, 2000; Bolanowski et al., 2000). Experiment 2 tested response competition by spatially separating the perturbation and tactile information delivery sites.</p> <p>Experiments 3 and 4 served to replicate behavioural acquisition data from experiments 1 and 2. They also extended the findings of the first two experiments by introducing neurophysiological measurement to reflect the changes associated with the two perturbation conditions. The study discerned whether the masking and response competition paradigms from experiments 1 and 2 were predominantly impacting the peripheral or central information processing.</p> <p>Results from the four studies collectively demonstrate that increased demands are placed on the sensory system during early stages of complex tactile learning when perturbation is spatially congruent with tactile information delivery. Experiments 1 and 2 revealed that attention does not supersede spatial location of perturbation, and perturbation location is paramount to yield sufficient interference to impede acquisition yet lead to enhanced knowledge retention and transfer. Experiments 3 and 4 determined that cortical information processing associated with complex tactile information acquisition are neurophysiologically differentiated when relative locations of meaningful and perturbation stimuli are congruent or spatially separated. The findings from this dissertation serve as an advancement of our understanding of masking and response competition phenomenon as they pertain to complex tactile learning.</p>