Abstract
When a given length is haptically traced, the direction of hand movements (relative to the body) influences the length perceived. A recent theory by Wong (1977) states that the source of the illusion is undetected differences in the moments of inertia associated with different directions of hand movement: Radial directions produce greater resistance to inertia (and, therefore, slower movements) than do tangential directions. Because subjects rely on time estimates to determine a fixed distance and because they are unable to perceive that they are moving more slowly in the radial than in the tangential direction, they overestimate “radial” lengths relative to“tangential” lengths. Experiment 1 examines the effect of altering inertia by changing the distance of the hand from the axis of rotation; Experiment 2 does so by changing the mass of the moving hand. Both manipulations fail to support the predictions derived from the moments-of-inertia hypothesis.
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The present research was supported by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (previously the National Research Council) to S. J. Lederman (A-9854) and an NSERC postgraduate award to F. M. Marchetti. The paper is based on an unpublished master’s thesis by F. M. Marchetti and was presented at the annual convention of the Canadian Psychological Association, Quebec City, 1979.
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Marchetti, F.M., Lederman, S.J. The haptic radial-tangential effect: Two tests of Wong’s “moments-of-inertia” hypothesis. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 21, 43–46 (1983). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329950
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329950