Tactile precision in right-handed archery experts with visual disabilities: a pseudoneglect effect?

Space perception was investigated in two groups of participants with severe visual deficiencies performing a tactile bisection task: the participants in the first group (Archers) regularly practised a high-precision sport, whereas those in the second group (Non-Archers) had never practised this activity. Experiments were carried out to determine whether practising this sport might affect the pseudoneglect (resulting in a deviation to the left of the perceived midpoint with respect to the actual physical midpoint) occurring in sighted persons (Bowers & Heilman, 1980) as well as in completely blind children (Sampaio, Gouarir, & Mvondo Mvondo, 1995). No particular deviation was observed in the group of Non-Archers, whereas pseudoneglect was present in the Archers' group. A significant hand effect (left/right), and a significant effect of starting point of tactile exploration were observed across groups. This confirms the existence of a relationship between hemisphere-hands and hemisphere-hemispace mechanisms. The results obtained here show that practising archery affects pseudoneglect.