Citation

Burtt HE. J. Exp. Psychol. 1917; 2(5): 371-385.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1917, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/h0074614

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Investigated the role of the intensity of tactual stimuli, the distance between them and other variables, like exposure time of the stimuli. Two similar tactual stimuli were presented at different points of the skin, with control of the time relations, intensity of the stimuli, and the distance between them. Under certain conditions of time, distance, and intensity, an impression of movement from one point to the other in the direction of the actual temporal succession resulted from 2 punctuate tactual stimuli on the forearm, given for equal lengths of time, separated by a discrete time interval, and a few centimeters apart. It was noted that if the intensity of the second stimulus was greater than that of the first, the illusion movement was sometimes produced in the reverse direction. It has been suggested that the action theory could account for the movement illusion which occurred similarly in vision, audition and touch. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)