Abstract
Subjects are more accurate in identifying a vibrotactile pattern when it is presented in isolation than when it is presented in temporal and spatial contiguity with a second vibrotactile pattern. When the temporal separation between the two patterns is relatively long (greater than 200 to 300 msec), there is more interference when the target pattern is presented second than when it is presented first, It was hypothesized that if features of a vibrotactile pattern persist for relatively long durations, the perception of a subsequent pattern might be interfered with. Two experiments investigated the persistence of tactual features. In both experiments, subjects were presented with two patterns and the temporal separation between the patterns was varied. The subjects were required to identify the second pattern. The results of Experiment 1 showed that at relatively long stimulus onset asynchronies, the subjects often erred and responded with a pattern containing more lines than were contained in the target pattern. Also, the subjects often overestimated the number of lines contained in the target patterns. These findings support the idea that features of vibrotactile patterns persist for relatively long durations and that these features may be integrated with subsequently presented patterns. The results of Experiment 2 indicated that the persisting representation was a veridical copy of the presented pattern and lasted as long as 1,200 msec. The results are discussed in terms of a tactile sensory register.
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This research was supported by Grant NS-09783 from the National Institutes of Health.
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Craig, J.C., Evans, P.M. Vibrotactile masking and the persistence of tactual features. Perception & Psychophysics 42, 309–317 (1987). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203085
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203085