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Vision of embodied rubber hands enhances tactile distractor processing
Ann-Katrin Wesslein1, Charles Spence, Christian Frings
1Department of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, University of Trier, 54286, Trier, Germany, wesslein@uni-trier.de.
Experimental Brain Research
|October 31, 2014
Summary
Vision of your own hand is not necessary for tactile response compatibility. Tactile distractors are processed only when rubber hands are perceived as part of your body, demonstrating the importance of body representation in tactile processing.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Somatosensory Perception
- Body Representation
Background:
- Viewing one's own hand influences tactile processing.
- The necessity of direct visual self-perception for this effect is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if seeing one's own hand is essential for tactile response compatibility.
- To determine if tactile distractors are processed to response selection when viewing rubber hands.
Main Methods:
- Combined the Eriksen flanker task with the rubber hand illusion.
- Presented tactile distractors to the hand while participants viewed rubber hands.
Main Results:
- Enhanced tactile distractor processing (up to response selection) occurred only when rubber hands were perceived as belonging to the self.
- This effect was contingent on the incorporation of rubber hands into the body representation.
Conclusions:
- Visual perception of one's own hand is not strictly necessary for tactile response compatibility.
- Tactile distractor processing is modulated by the perceived ownership of seen hands, highlighting the role of body representation.
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