Unit+2A+Case+Readings+-+Read+only+What+you+see+is+what+you%27ve+learned+by+Turnbull

Case Study of S.B.

Background

• S.B.: Born in 1906, lost sight at 10 months due to smallpox vaccination.

• Life Before Sight: Attended Birmingham Blind School, skilled cobbler, led an independent life, married.

Restoration of Sight

• Corneal Graft: 1958 - received surgeries to restore sight.

• Initial Reactions: Overjoyed to see wife and surroundings; however, quickly fell into despair.

• Psychological Impact: Disbelief in ability to adapt to sight, disappointment with perceived beauty (poor enjoyment of colors).

Perceptual Challenges

• Visual Experiences: Initially, limitations in recognizing shapes, colors, depth, and understanding space.

• Unique Perspective: Identified objects by experience rather than recognition, showing cross-modal transfer from touch to sight.

Cognitive Aspects

• Memory and Identity: Despite gaining sight, S.B. had difficulty creating new visual memories and making meaningful connections to the objects he saw.

• Philosophical Questions: Can one give informed consent without retaining memory of the event?

Legacy and Death

• Disillusionment: Expressed feeling of loss more than gain after surgery; died in 1960, two years post-surgery.

• Corkin's Perspective: His case raised important questions about the nature of perception and the impact of sensory loss/recovery on human identity.

General Findings

• Philosophical Implications: Both cases highlight the complexities of memory, identity, perception, and the ethical considerations in psychological research.

• Research Significance: Contributed to foundational knowledge in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, influencing approaches to studies on memory and perception.