Recovery from Early Blindness FINAL - Richard …

1 Recovery from Early Blindness - A Case Study1 Recovery from Early BlindnessA Case StudybyRichard Langton Gregory, , of Corpus Christie College and Lecturer in Experimental Psychologyin the University of CambridgeandJean G. Wallace, Research Assistant, Cambridge Psychological LaboratoryReproduced in March 2001 from Experimental Psychology Society Monograph No. 2 1963 2001 Richard Gregory and Jean WallacePhotograph: Tobias cures his father's Blindness - Bernardo Strozzi 1581 1644[The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase 1957 Mary Wetmore Shively Bequest, in memory of her husband, Henry L.]

2 Shively] Recovery from Early Blindness - A Case Study2 ForewordAlthough it is nearly 300 years since Molyneux posed his celebrated query, interest in the problem ofrecovery of vision after Early and long-standing Blindness is of comparatively recent origin. In 1932, von Senden carefully reviewed the literature on the perception of space and shape in the congenitallyblind before and after operation and arrived at some important conclusions. In particular, he stressed theslow, laborious and imperfect way in which the perception of form is acquired by these patients and theirliability to emotional crises as they come to discover the true extent of their disability as sightedpersons.

3 Unfortunately, Dr. von Senden s monograph remained little known to psychologists, at all eventsin this country, and it was not until 1949, when Dr. Donald Hebb published his fascinating book on TheOrganisation of Behavior, that its significance came to be at all widely appreciated. As everypsychologist knows, Dr. Hebb placed considerable weight on Herr von Senden s evidence and believed itto throw important light on the nature of visual perception and its development in infancy. Although thereis disagreement regarding the interpretation of this evidence, there can be no doubt as to the fresh andstimulating influence which Dr.

4 Hebb s ideas have had upon contemporary psychological of the main obstacles to informed discussion of Dr. Hebb s theories has been the inaccessibilityof the clinical evidence. This, it is true, has been remedied to some extent by the publication, in 1960, ofan English translation of Dr. von Senden s monograph but even so the position is far from satisfactory. Itwas never the author s intention to assemble detailed case reports and it is not always easy to distinguishbetween the facts as recorded by others and the interpretation which Dr.

5 Von Senden has placed uponthem. If for only this reason, the addition of a fresh and well-studied case to the widely dispersedliterature will be warmly authors of this monograph have provided a full description of the history and progress of a man,effectively blind almost from birth, who underwent two operations for corneal grafting at the age of 52, asa result of which he recovered appreciable sight. As they relate, their attention was first drawn to the caseby a newspaper report and it is to their great credit that they followed the matter up.

6 With characteristicenterprise, Mr. Richard Gregory made an approach to the Ophthalmic Surgeon in charge of the case, , Esq., , of the Wolverhampton and Midland Counties Eye Infirmary, who respondedwith warm friendliness and generosity. Indeed it is entirely due to his kind permission to study the caseand to his encouragement throughout that the work reported in this monograph could be case study will be of interest to many. To the psychologist, perhaps the most arresting finding isthe extent of transfer of information from touch to vision which the authors have been able todemonstrate.

7 They point out, too, that much of their patient s difficulty in visual learning can be ascribedto his long-standing reliance on touch and the whole complex of well-engrained habits to which it hadgiven rise. This leads them, in my view rightly, to suggest that great caution should be exercised indrawing parallels between the Recovery of vision after operation in adults and the normal development ofperception in young authors would be the last to claim any particular expertise in clinical inquiry.

8 Nevertheless,readers will be impressed by their resourcefulness and determination to proceed wherever possible by themethod of experiment. In spite of limited experience, they carried their study through in a manner entitledto warm admiration and respect. Although it is always risky to generalise from a single case, their workundoubtedly serves to throw light on important issues in the development of perception and the cross-modal transfer of information. They have presented their case with modesty, skill and warm L. from Early Blindness - A Case Study3 ContentsForeword.

9 2 Contents .. Introduction ..52. The Case of (1) First Considerations ..7(2) Amount of Pre-Operative Vision ..8A. The Testimony of ..8B. The Testimony of s Elder Sister ..9C. The Medical and School Reports of the Birmingham Royal School for the Expert Opinion on the Immediately Pre-Operative Condition of the Eyes ..14(3) Assessment of the Evidence for Early Observations at the Wolverhampton and Midland Counties Eye Infirmary (January 1959)..16(1) Introduction to the (2) First Visual Experiences after Operation ..18(3) Perceptual Tests.

10 19 Test 1. Hering 2. The Zolner Illusion ..20 Test 3. The Poggendorf Illusion ..20 Test 4. Ambiguous Depth Illusions (reversing figures) ..20 Test 5. The M ller Lyer Illusion ..21 Test 6. Perspective Size Changes ..21 Test 7. Figure and 8. The Ames Distorting 9. After-Effects of Movement ..23 Test 10. Rorschach Ink Blots ..24 Test 11. Kodachrome Projections of Scenery ..24 Test 12. The Ishihara Colour Vision Test ..24(4) The Patient s First Drawings ..25(5) Discussion on 's Drawings ..28(6) Addendum: Later Drawings ..284. Observations Made Immediately After Discharge from Hospital.