Haptic Exploration in Elementary School Age Children

Haptic exploration, or active touch, is a perceptual modality that has demonstrated therapeutic potential for elementary age children but is not commonly studied with this age group. The aim of this exploratory study was to discover the characteristics of haptic scanning that are associated with efficiency and accuracy in a shape matching task. The study tasks were designed to resemble common visual perception tests, but in a haptic form using wooden shapes. Children ages 6 years, 6 months to 9 years, 6 months (N = 25), and adults (N = 25) engaged in shape matching tasks that involved either cross-modal (haptic with vision) or unimodal (haptic only) exploration. Video recordings were analyzed and four types of haptic strategies were identified that were significantly related to both age and correctness of response: the simultaneous use of two hands was the highest level and the use of one hand was the lowest. The findings are discussed in terms of attention capacity and ability to use points of reference.