Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 4, 2026

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
Published on: March 1, 2017
The influence of embodiment on multisensory integration using the mirror box illusion
Jared Medina1, Priya Khurana2, H Branch Coslett3
1Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, United States; Department of Neurology, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, United States.
Abstract:
We examined the relationship between subcomponents of embodiment and multisensory integration using a mirror box illusion. The participants' left hand was positioned against the mirror, while their right hidden hand was positioned 12″, 6″, or 0″ from the mirror - creating a conflict between visual and proprioceptive estimates of limb position in some conditions. After synchronous tapping, asynchronous tapping, or no movement of both hands, participants gave position estimates for the hidden limb and filled out a brief embodiment questionnaire. We found a relationship between different subcomponents of embodiment and illusory displacement towards the visual estimate. Illusory visual displacement was positively correlated with feelings of deafference in the asynchronous and no movement conditions, whereas it was positive correlated with ratings of visual capture and limb ownership in the synchronous and no movement conditions. These results provide evidence for dissociable contributions of different aspects of embodiment to multisensory integration.
Related Concept Videos
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Gestalt Principles of Perception
Nonconscious Mimicry
The Looking Glass Self
Perceptual Constancy
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

