Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Measurement of Spatial Stability in Precision Grip
Published on: June 4, 2020
When can an object feel heavier than itself? Perceived heaviness of a wielded object depends on grasp position
Jeffrey B Wagman1, Samantha J Aspel
1Department of Psychology, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-46120, USA. jeffreywagman@ilstu.edu
Abstract:
Perceived heaviness is a function of how an object resists being moved, and such resistance is determined by object mass and the distribution of that mass relative to the wrist. Whereas mass is independent of grasp position on an object, distribution of mass relative to the wrist is not. Therefore, perceived heaviness should vary with grasp position. Blindfolded participants wielded internally weighted cylindrical objects while grasping them at different distances from the centre of mass. They rated how heavy each object felt at each location relative to a standard object. The results show that objects felt heavier as they were grasped farther from the centre of mass, highlighting the role of the touch system in controlling movement.
Related Concept Videos
Mass and Weight
Mass and Weight
Apparent Weight
Consider a person standing on a bathroom scale inside an elevator. If the scale is accurate at rest, its reading equals the...
Apparent Weight and the Earth's Rotation
For an object on the Earth's equator, the net centripetal force that accounts for its rotation is the Earth's pull towards its center, or the weight minus the normal force that prevents it from piercing into the Earth's surface. This force,...
Weightlessness
Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface
The difference between the true and apparent weights is proportional to the square of the Earth's angular speed. Since the...

