University of Sussex
Browse
ToH_Final_Submission.pdf (1.24 MB)

Thermal-tactile integration in object temperature perception

Download (1.24 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 16:55 authored by Hsin-Ni Ho, Hiu Mei Chow, Sayaka Tsunokake, Warrick RoseboomWarrick Roseboom
The brain consistently faces a challenge of whether and how to combine the available information sources to estimate the properties of an object explored by hand. While object perception is an inference process involving multisensory inputs, thermal referral (TR) is an illusion demonstrating how interaction between thermal and tactile systems can lead to deviations from physical reality – When observers touch three stimulators simultaneously with the middle three fingers of one hand but only the outer two stimulators are heated (or cooled), thermal uniformity is perceived across three fingers. Here we used TR of warmth to examine the thermal-tactile interaction in object temperature perception. We show that TR is consistent with precision-weighted averaging of thermal sensation across tactile locations. Further, we show that prolonged contact with TR stimulation results in adaptation to the local variations of veridical temperatures instead of the thermal uniformity perceived across three fingers. Our results illuminate the flexibility of processing that underlies thermal-tactile interactions and serve as a basis for thermal display design.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

IEEE Transactions on Haptics

ISSN

1939-1412

Publisher

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Department affiliated with

  • Informatics Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-02-19

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-02-19

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-02-18

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC