title: Tactile precision in right-handed archery experts with visual disabilities: a pseudoneglect effect?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Génomique Fonctionnelle, Comportements et Pathologies, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402 Marseille Cedex, France. coudereau@dpm.cnrs-mrs.fr
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Coudereau
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gueguen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pratte
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sampaio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013177:Sports; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*