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The effects of blindness on tactile and auditory perception in rats

Author

James Malcolm Claiborn, University of the Pacific

Date of Award

1973

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Kenneth L. Beauchamp

Second Advisor

C[?] Collins

First Committee Member

Doug Matheson

Abstract

Folklore has long held that blind people gain, relative to normal people, in their sensitivity to other sensory modalities. Although supported only by equivocal evidence, this position probably first appeared in mythology in early Greek literature. Oedipus Rex was attributed greater awareness of people’s nature after this blindness. It is still a prevalent myth in contemporary American culture, to the extent that it appears in “Little Orphan Annie.” Experimental attempts at verification of this point began several years ago, but it remains a controversial issue. Literature on the topic can be divided up into several content areas: the relevance of blindness to auditory sensitivity, the relevance of blindness to tactile sensitivity, the developmental effect of blindness and central vs. peripheral blindness and it affects perception. Studies sampled there represent these content areas.

Pages

95

Recommended Citation

Claiborn, James Malcolm. (1973). The effects of blindness on tactile and auditory perception in rats. University of the Pacific, Thesis. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/1810