Effect of illusory thermal sensation on hardness perception(Summary of Awarded Presentation at the 26th Annual Meeting)

Abstract

We examined whether simultaneous illusory thermal sensations can influence the perception of hardness. By applying thermal stimuli on the index and ring fingers, we elicited referred thermal sensation on the middle finger, to which only hardness stimuli was applied without affecting the thermal properties of the peripheral receptors. Seven participants underwent a two-alternative forced-choice task on the perceived hardness of rubber pieces with various hardness values. The results show that the participants found samples to be harder under the cold condition. This phenomenon implies that the illusory thermal experience induces a tactile illusion in which warm (cold) material is perceived to be soft (hard).