Exploring Tactile Perception: Similarities and Differences between Sighted and Blind Individuals

This study explores how visual experience and sensory compensation shape tactile perception in two groups of individuals: sighted (SP) and visually impaired (VIP). A total of 100 participants (60 SP, 40 VIP) evaluated 37 material samples using a semantic differential scale. This study proposes a novel methodological approach: visually impaired participants evaluated tactile materials using exclusively visually based imagery descriptors. Despite group differences, both groups shared core perceptual invariants, specifically roughness, hardness, and temperature, essential for consistent and reliable tactile interaction. However, VIPs demonstrated heightened sensitivity to fine textures, likely due to sensory compensation mechanisms involving tactile acuity enhancement and neural plasticity. In contrast, SPs relied predominantly on macroscopic tactile cues. Clarifying these invariants and compensatory strategies is critical for inclusive and universally accessible product design, enabling products to be precisely tailored to users' sensory abilities. These findings provide significant societal value by offering concrete guidelines for improving tactile-based accessibility and enhancing everyday tactile navigation, interaction, and overall quality of life, especially for visually impaired populations.