Abstract
Subjects who were placed in darkness for a week but otherwise were exposed to a normal and varied sensory environment showed a significant increase in absolute pressure sensitivity of the finger, forearm, neck, and leg, but not of the palm, relative to a group of controls. Measures of tactual and auditory localization, on the other hand, showed no significant changes after visual deprivation. These results provide some experimental support for Schultz’s (1965) sensoristatic theory.
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This research was supported by the Defense Research Board, Canada (No. 9425-08) and by the National Research Council, Canada (APA-290).
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Phelps, J., Zubek, J.P. The effect of prolonged visual deprivation on various cutaneous and auditory measures. Psychon Sci 14, 194–195 (1969). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332785
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332785