Haptics in Cognition: Disruptor or Enabler of Memory?

TL;DR

This pilot study explores how tactile and kinaesthetic factors in haptic perception affect immediate memory recall during handwriting, revealing that increased kinaesthetic demands may slightly impair retention without affecting perceived workload.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how specific haptic interactions influence memory, highlighting that kinaesthetic intensity can negatively impact recall independently of perceived effort.

Findings

Increased writing pressure slightly reduces recall accuracy.

Glove use alone does not significantly affect memory retention.

Mental effort and workload do not mediate the observed effects.

Abstract

This exploratory pilot study investigates the impact of haptic perception --specifically tactile sensitivity (touch) and kinaesthetic intensity (movement)-- on learning, operationalized as information retention (immediate recall) through handwriting. Participants (N=20) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups in a 2x2 factorial design, manipulating touch (via glove use) and movement (via increased writing pressure). Information retention was measured using an immediate recall test, while mental effort (reaction time in a secondary task) and perceived workload (NASA-TLX) were examined as mediating variables. Bayesian binomial regression revealed moderate evidence that increased writing pressure negatively influenced recall (85-88% probability of negative effect), whereas glove use alone demonstrated no clear effect. Bayesian mediation analysis found no strong evidence that mental effort or perceived workload mediated these effects, as all 95% credible intervals included zero, indicating substantial uncertainty. These findings suggest that increased Kinaesthetic demands may slightly impair immediate recall, independent of perceived workload or mental effort. Importantly, the manipulation of touch alone does not appear to influence information retention. The study contributes to understanding the nuanced relationship between embodied interactions and cognitive outcomes, with implications for designing sensor-based multimodal learning environments.