Multi-modal Heaviness Perception and Multi-modally Specified Rotational Inertia

Matthew Streit, Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati

Abstract
The nature of heaviness perception has eluded Psychology since Weber’s original psychophysical investigations over a century ago. For example, the size-weight illusion demonstrates that as two objects of the same mass become different in size, the larger object feels lighter than the smaller object. Non-visual influences of size have been accounted for by the object’s resistance to rotational acceleration (rotational inertia) which is a direct function of the mass distribution of an object—as an object changes size its mass distribution changes accordingly. It is hypothesized that the motion of a wielded object may serve to specify rotational inertia in multi-modal (visual+haptic) heaviness perception—the relation between applied wielding force and (visual) rotational motion multi-modally specifies an object’s rotational inertia and, therefore, its heaviness. Using a virtual reality environment it was possible to separate the normal link between applied force and visual object motion. The results showed significant visual and inertial influences. The influences conform to an inertial model of heaviness perception and are consistent with prior findings in non-visual heaviness perception, suggesting a common informational basis in non-visual and multi-modal perception.

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