title: The development of multisensory body representation and awareness continues to 10 years of age: Evidence from the rubber hand illusion.
abstract: Recent research using the "rubber hand illusion" shows that the multisensory processes underlying body representations are markedly different in children of 4 to 9years and adults. In representing the position of their own hand in external space, children of this age rely more on the sight of the hand, and less on its proprioceptively felt position, than adults do. The current study investigated when during later childhood the balance between visual and proprioceptive inputs reaches an adult-like weighting. After inducing the rubber hand illusion in 10- to 13-year-olds, we asked participants to point, with eyes closed, to the perceived position of their hand. We found that pointing responses reached adult levels at 10 to 11years, showing that at this age children perceive hand location using an adult-like balance of sensory cues. We conclude that the multisensory foundations of the bodily self undergo a protracted period of development through early and mid-childhood, reaching an adult state by 10 to 11years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham DH1 2NQ, UK. Electronic address: dorothy.cowie@durham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cowie
authors.affiliation: Sensorimotor Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE14 6NW, UK.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sterling
authors.affiliation: Sensorimotor Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London SE14 6NW, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bremner
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D001828:Body Image; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Body representation; Development; Multisensory; Own-body; Perception; Rubber hand illusion