Texture information in tactual space perception.
The significance of texture as a source of information in tactual space perception was studied using a linear positioning task. A spatial texture gradient, whose elements changed with position and distance, a homogeneous raised-element pattern and a smooth surface were used. Participants had to reproduce locations and distances on these surfaces under various conditions. In active conditions, participants moved their indexfinger across the surface. In passive conditions, the texture was moved beneath the indexfinger of the participant. In conditions with equal movement speed, movement speeds' of criterion and reproduction phase were matched, in conditions with unequal movement speed, they did not match. The largest errors were obtained for the combined passive movement-unequal movement speed conditions. In these conditions, differences between textures were visible for signed and unsigned errors, indicating that textures may differ in the cutaneous specification of distance and location.
Schellingerhout
R
R
Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. schellingerhout@psych.kun.nl
Smitsman
A W
AW
Van Galen
G P
GP
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation; D011930:Reaction Time; D013028:Space Perception; D013236:Stereognosis; D014110:Touch