ArticlePsychological research2026
Early visual experience influences haptic cross-sectioning ability.
Article in Psychological research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionCross-sectioning task requires participants to identify the two-dimensional (2D) internal shape of cross-sectioned three-dimensional (3D) solids. This task demands advanced spatial reasoning abilities, including the mental manipulation of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. While previous research has highlighted the importance of vision in understanding objects' spatial features, the relationship between successful cross-sectioning and visual impairments remains unclear.
methodsThe present study aims to investigate how early-life vision guides the ability to construct and transform spatial representations through touch, using a haptic 3D-printed version of the Santa Barbara Solid Test. Our sample consisted of four groups of participants: early blind (N = 11), late blind (N = 8, onset of blindness: after 6 years old), low vision (N = 5, vision acuity between 3/10 and 1/20), and blindfolded sighted (N = 13). All participants were asked to haptically explore and recognize cross-sections of 3D-printed solids of varying difficulty levels (N = 10 trials) and to identify the associated correct section among four options. We analyzed performance using a generalized linear mixed model, with accuracy (correct versus incorrect) as the outcome and group and difficulty as predictors.
resultsThe group (i.e., onset of blindness) emerged as the only significant predictor for task performance (p-value < 0.001). In particular, early blind participants show lower probability of correctly identifying cross-section of solids compared to the other groups (all p-values ≤ 0.02). DISCUSSION: These findings show that visual deprivation in the first years of life impacts the development of effective haptic spatial skills, highlighting the need for tailored rehabilitation programs, particularly in the context of multisensory spatial reasoning.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.