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Exploring Reference Frame Integration Using Response Demands in a Tactile Temporal-Order Judgement Task
Kaian Unwalla1, Daniel Goldreich1, David I Shore1,2
1Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
Multisensory Research
|August 10, 2021
Summary
People can shift their focus between internal (body) and external (space) reference frames when touching objects. This study shows how focusing on spatial location, rather than body part, impacts tactile perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Perception
Background:
- Tactile perception relies on integrating internal (anatomical) and external (spatial) reference frames.
- The crossed-hands deficit in tactile temporal-order judgments highlights reference frame integration challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how manipulating attentional bias towards anatomical versus spatiotopic reference frames affects tactile temporal-order judgments.
- To determine if individuals can modulate the weighting of internal and external reference frames during tactile exploration.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed tactile temporal-order judgments under conditions of crossed or uncrossed hands.
- Attentional bias was manipulated using foot pedals to direct focus towards either the stimulated hand (anatomical bias) or its spatial location (spatiotopic bias).
- A probabilistic model was used to quantify the relative weighting of anatomical and spatiotopic reference frames.
Main Results:
- Spatiotopic bias led to a larger crossed-hands deficit, indicating increased reliance on the external spatial frame.
- Anatomical bias resulted in a smaller deficit, suggesting greater emphasis on the internal anatomical frame.
- The study demonstrated that spatiotopic bias can increase external frame weighting or decrease internal frame weighting, depending on experimental conditions.
Conclusions:
- Individuals can dynamically adjust the relative influence of anatomical and spatiotopic reference frames in tactile perception.
- This flexibility in reference frame weighting is crucial for accurate spatial awareness and object interaction.
- Understanding reference frame modulation offers insights into sensory integration and potential therapeutic targets for sensory processing disorders.
