The reproduction of vertical and oblique orientations in the visual, haptic, and somato-vestibular systems

This study investigates whether the vertical orientation may be predominant ly used as an amodal reference norm by the visual, haptic, and somato-vesti bular perceptual systems to define oblique orientations. We examined this q uestion by asking the same sighted adult subjects to reproduce, in the fron tal (roll) plane, the vertical (0 degrees) and six oblique orientations in three tasks involving different perceptual systems. In the visual task, the subjects adjusted a moveable rod so that it reproduced the orientation of a visual rod seen previously in a dark room. In the haptic task, the blindf olded sighted subjects scanned an oriented rod with one hand and reproduced its orientation, with the same hand, on a moveable response rod. In the so mato-vestibular task, the blindfolded sighted subjects, sitting in a rotati ng chair, adjusted this chair in order to reproduce the tested orientation of their own body. The results showed that similar oblique effects (unsigne d angular error difference between six oblique orientations and vertical or ientation) were observed across the three tasks. However, there were no pos itive correlations between the visual, haptic, and somato-vestibular obliqu e effects. Moreover, in some oblique orientations, there was a tendency to overestimate the angle between the oblique orientation and the vertical ori entation. This effect varied according to the orientation value and the mod ality. Taken together, these findings suggest that although vertical orient ation is used as a reference norm in the visual, haptic, and somato-vestibu lar systems to define oblique orientations, specific processing mechanisms seem to be at work in each perceptual system.