A haptic size-contrast illusion affects size perception but not grasping

Abstract

Object features (e.g. size, shape and orientation) are relevant for recognition and identification, but also for the control of manual actions. Converging evidence suggests a dissociation between the visual systems that mediate object perception and object-directed action. Here we present evidence suggesting that a similar dissociation might exist in the haptic domain. We demonstrate that a haptic variation of a size-contrast illusion influences the perceived size of a target object, but not the degree to which the hand is opened when that object is the target of a grasping movement. This finding is consistent with the view that object perception is "scene-based" and takes into consideration not only the size of the target object but also the sizes of other nearby objects. In contrast, the control of object-directed action is primarily driven by the absolute size of the target object independent of the relative sizes of other objects in the environment, suggesting a "actor-based" frame of reference. The present findings suggest that dissociations between action and perception are not unique to the visual system, but might instead reflect a general organizational principle of sensory processing.