Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
06:43
The Crossmodal Congruency Task as a Means to Obtain an Objective Behavioral Measure in the Rubber Hand Illusion Paradigm
Published on: July 26, 2013
Rubber hands feel the touch of light
Frank H Durgin1, Laurel Evans, Natalie Dunphy
1Swarthmore College, PA 19081, USA. fdurgin1@swarthmore.edu
Psychological Science
|April 12, 2007
Summary
A laser pointer's light beam can create tactile sensations and recalibrate hand position when it appears to touch a person's own hand. This multisensory illusion demonstrates how visual input influences our sense of touch and body perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Sensory Perception
Background:
- The sense of touch and body ownership are typically associated with direct physical contact.
- Multisensory integration plays a crucial role in constructing our perception of the world and our own bodies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether visual stimuli, specifically a laser light, can induce tactile sensations and alter body perception.
- To explore the role of multisensory integration in creating illusions of touch and body ownership.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments with 220 subjects were conducted.
- Subjects experienced "stroking" of a false hand with a laser pointer's light beam.
- Felt hand location and tactile/thermal sensations were recorded.
Main Results:
- 66% of subjects reported somatic sensations from the light stimulus.
- Felt hand location was recalibrated towards the false hand's position.
- Proprioceptive recalibration was comparable to physical brushing stimuli.
Conclusions:
- Visual stimuli, like laser light, can induce tactile sensations and recalibrate body representation.
- This research highlights the significant influence of visual input on somatosensory perception and body ownership.
- The findings support theories of multisensory integration in shaping perceptual experiences.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Tactile and Chemical Senses
Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...
01:14Design Example: Resistive Touchscreen
A device engineer plays a crucial role in designing user interfaces for mobile devices. One such interface is the resistive touchscreen, which fundamentally consists of two metallic layers: a flexible upper layer and a rigid lower layer, separated by a narrow gap. The high resistance between these two layers is a key characteristic of this design.
When a user touches the screen, the two layers make contact at a specific point known as the touchpoint. This contact reduces the resistance between...
When a user touches the screen, the two layers make contact at a specific point known as the touchpoint. This contact reduces the resistance between...
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
The history of therapeutic communication can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who emphasized the importance of developing trusting relationships with patients. She taught that the presence of nurses with patients results in therapeutic healing.
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
01:15Handwashing III: During the Procedure and Post-Procedure Steps
To wash hands properly, follow these steps:
01:33Somatosensation
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
01:16Sensory Functions of the Skin
The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...