Spatial acuity and summation on the hand: the role of thermal cues in material discrimination

The spatial characteristics of thermal perception were studied in two experiments that examined how thermal stimuli are processed within the hands. A thermal display that simulates cues associated with making contact with different materials was used in these studies. In the first experiment, participants indicated which of two simulated materials that were presented to the index fingertip was cooler. The results indicated that participants were unable to resolve the two areas of thermal stimulation. In the second experiment, the effects of concurrent thermal stimulation on the ability to discriminate between simulated materials were evaluated. Thermal cues were presented to the middle fingers of both hands and to two adjacent fingers on one hand. Thermal spatial summation was evident across the fingers, which enhanced the ability to discriminate between materials when the cooler stimulus was presented to three fingers. When the same stimulus was presented to the two hands, the stimulation of adjacent fingers altered the perceived thermal response.