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Hypothesis awareness confounds asynchronous control conditions in indirect measures of the rubber hand illusion

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Version 2 2023-06-12, 08:08
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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 08:08 authored by Peter LushPeter Lush, Anil SethAnil Seth, Zoltan DienesZoltan Dienes
Reports of changes in experiences of body location and ownership following synchronous tactile and visual stimulation of fake and real hands (rubber hand (RH) effects) are widely attributed to multisensory integration mechanisms. However, existing control methods for subjective report measures (asynchronous stroking and control statements) are confounded by participant hypothesis awareness; the report may reflect response to demand characteristics. Subjective report is often accompanied by indirect (also called ‘objective’ or ‘implicit’) measures. Here, we report tests of expectancies for synchronous ‘illusion’ and asynchronous ‘control’ conditions across two pre-registered studies (n = 140 and n = 45) for two indirect measures: proprioceptive drift (a change in perceived hand location) and skin conductance response (a measure of physiological arousal). Expectancies for synchronous condition measures were greater than for asynchronous conditions in both studies. Differences between synchronous and asynchronous control condition measures are therefore confounded by hypothesis awareness. This means indirect measures of RH effects may reflect compliance, bias and phenomenological control in response to demand characteristics, just as for subjective measures. Valid control measures are required to support claims of a role of multisensory integration for both direct and indirect measures of RH effects.

Funding

The Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science 2019-2021 Leading-edge consciousness science and its application to psychological and neurological health; G2608; SACKLER-DR MORTIMER AND THERESA SACKLER FOUNDATION

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Royal Society Open Science

ISSN

2054-5703

Publisher

The Royal Society

Issue

11

Volume

8

Page range

1-14

Article number

a210911

Department affiliated with

  • Informatics Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2021-10-14

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2021-10-14

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2021-10-13

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