title: Learning to echolocate in sighted people: a correlational study on attention, working memory and spatial abilities.
abstract: Echolocation can be beneficial for the orientation and mobility of visually impaired people. Research has shown considerable individual differences for acquiring this skill. However, individual characteristics that affect the learning of echolocation are largely unknown. In the present study, we examined individual factors that are likely to affect learning to echolocate: sustained and divided attention, working memory, and spatial abilities. To that aim, sighted participants with normal hearing performed an echolocation task that was adapted from a previously reported size-discrimination task. In line with existing studies, we found large individual differences in echolocation ability. We also found indications that participants were able to improve their echolocation ability. Furthermore, we found a significant positive correlation between improvement in echolocation and sustained and divided attention, as measured in the PASAT. No significant correlations were found with our tests regarding working memory and spatial abilities. These findings may have implications for the development of guidelines for training echolocation that are tailored to the individual with a visual impairment.
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postbus 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. m.ekkel@pwo.ru.nl.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ekkel
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Lier
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postbus 9104, 6500 HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Steenbergen
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D004455:Echolocation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D065854:Spatial Navigation / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attention; Echolocation; Perception; Visual impairment