Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Creating Objects and Object Categories for Studying Perception and Perceptual Learning
Published on: November 2, 2012
Effects of vision and haptics on categorizing common objects
1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. susan.haag@asu.edu
Abstract:
Most research on object recognition and categorization centers on vision. However, these phenomena are likely influenced by the commonly used modality of touch. The present study tested this notion by having participants explore three-dimensional objects using vision and haptics in naming and sorting tasks. Results showed greater difficulty naming (recognizing) and sorting (categorizing) objects haptically. For both conditions, error increased from the concrete attribute of size to the more abstract quality of predation, providing behavioral evidence for shared object representation in vision and haptics.
Related Concept Videos
Visual Agnosia
Vision
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Perceptual Constancy
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...
Gestalt Principles of Perception
Color Vision

