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Published on: January 21, 2017
Individual differences in susceptibility to experimentally induced phantom sensations
1University Hospital Zurich, Department of Neurology, Unit of Neuropsychology, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland.
Body Image
|December 20, 2007
Summary
Individual differences in phantom limb sensations were studied. Higher Perceptual Aberration scores correlated with illusory arm extension and, in men, nose elongation, suggesting a physiological basis for body schema alterations.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Somatosensory Perception
Background:
- Phantom sensations, like illusory limb movement or shape changes, can be experimentally induced.
- Individual differences in susceptibility to these illusions are not fully understood.
- The relationship between personality traits and susceptibility to phantom sensations requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate individual differences in susceptibility to vibration-induced phantom illusions.
- To explore the correlation between personality traits, specifically Perceptual Aberration (PA) and Need for Cognition (NFC), and susceptibility to phantom illusions.
- To examine the potential physiological and cognitive underpinnings of these experimentally induced sensations.
Main Methods:
- 32 healthy participants received vibration applied to the biceps brachii tendon.
- Susceptibility was measured via vividness and magnitude ratings of illusory arm extension and nose prolongation (Pinocchio illusion).
- Participants completed the Perceptual Aberration (PA) and Need for Cognition (NFC) inventories.
Main Results:
- Perceptual Aberration (PA) scores positively correlated with susceptibility to illusory arm extension.
- PA scores also correlated with nose elongation susceptibility, but exclusively in male participants.
- A high Need for Cognition (NFC) showed a weak association with higher susceptibility to the Pinocchio illusion.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a physiological basis for Perceptual Aberration (PA) related to body schema alterations.
- Experimental phantom sensations appear to be mediated by cognitive factors, indicated by the NFC association.
- Individual differences in personality traits influence susceptibility to experimentally induced phantom illusions.
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