TRANSFER BETWEEN VISION AND HAPTICS - MEMORY FOR 2-D PATTERNS AND 3-DOBJECTS

Explicit memory tests such as recognition typically access semantic, m odality-independent representations, while perceptual implicit memory tests typically access presemantic, modality-specific representations. By demonstrating comparable cross-and within-modal priming using visi on and haptics with verbal materials (Easton, Srinivas, & Greene, 1997 ), we recently questioned whether the representations underlying perce ptual implicit tests were modality specific. Unlike vision and auditio n, with vision and haptics verbal information can be presented in geom etric terms to both modalities. The present experiments extend this li ne of research by assessing implicit and explicit memory within and be tween vision and haptics in the nonverbal domain, using both 2-D patte rns and 3-D objects. implicit test results revealed robust cross-modal priming for both 2-D patterns and 3-D objects, indicating that vision and haptics shared abstract representations of object shape and struc ture. Explicit test results for 3-D objects revealed modality specific ity, indicating that the recognition system keeps track of the modalit y through which an object is experienced.