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Hypothesis awareness confounds asynchronous control conditions in indirect measures of the rubber hand illusion
Version 2 2023-06-12, 08:08
Version 1 2023-06-10, 01:25
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 08:08 authored by Peter LushPeter Lush, Anil SethAnil Seth, Zoltan DienesZoltan DienesReports of changes in experiences of body location and ownership following synchronous tactile and visual stimulation of fake and real hands (rubber hand (RH) effects) are widely attributed to multisensory integration mechanisms. However, existing control methods for subjective report measures (asynchronous stroking and control statements) are confounded by participant hypothesis awareness; the report may reflect response to demand characteristics. Subjective report is often accompanied by indirect (also called ‘objective’ or ‘implicit’) measures. Here, we report tests of expectancies for synchronous ‘illusion’ and asynchronous ‘control’ conditions across two pre-registered studies (n = 140 and n = 45) for two indirect measures: proprioceptive drift (a change in perceived hand location) and skin conductance response (a measure of physiological arousal). Expectancies for synchronous condition measures were greater than for asynchronous conditions in both studies. Differences between synchronous and asynchronous control condition measures are therefore confounded by hypothesis awareness. This means indirect measures of RH effects may reflect compliance, bias and phenomenological control in response to demand characteristics, just as for subjective measures. Valid control measures are required to support claims of a role of multisensory integration for both direct and indirect measures of RH effects.
Funding
The Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science 2019-2021 Leading-edge consciousness science and its application to psychological and neurological health; G2608; SACKLER-DR MORTIMER AND THERESA SACKLER FOUNDATION
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Publication status
- Published
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- Published version
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Royal Society Open ScienceISSN
2054-5703Publisher
The Royal SocietyExternal DOI
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11Volume
8Page range
1-14Article number
a210911Department affiliated with
- Informatics Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2021-10-14First Open Access (FOA) Date
2021-10-14First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2021-10-13Usage metrics
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