Imposed visual feedback delay of an action changes mass perception based on the sensory prediction error

Area of Science:

• * Cognitive Neuroscience
• * Human Motor Control
• * Perception Science

Background:

• * Sensory feedback timing is crucial for establishing action-consequence causality.
• * Delayed visual feedback can alter perceived object properties, such as mass.
• * Understanding the mechanisms behind this altered perception is key to grasping sensorimotor integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To investigate the origin of feedback timing information influencing external object mass perception.
• * To determine if altered mass perception is due to prediction error or feedback delay itself.
• * To explore the role of temporal tuning and sensorimotor prediction in mass perception.

Main Methods:

• * Participants performed reaching movements with a manipulandum, with visual feedback displayed as cursor movement.
• * Experiment 1: Introduced varying delays (0-800 ms) between actual movement and visual feedback.
• * Experiment 2: Assessed adaptation to feedback delays to differentiate prediction error from delay effects.

Main Results:

• * Perceived mass significantly increased with delays up to 400 ms, but not at 800 ms.
• * Adaptation to feedback delay reduced perceived mass, indicating updated temporal predictions.
• * Mass overestimation diminished upon updating the temporal prediction model for visual consequences.

Conclusions:

• * A temporal tuning mechanism integrates visual feedback into mass perception.
• * Sensorimotor prediction error, within a reasonable delay range, induces misattribution of visual delay into mass perception.
• * Updating temporal predictions for action consequences mitigates mass overestimation caused by feedback delays.