Masking Interferes with Haptic Texture Perception from Sequential Exploratory Movements

Dataset for the two Experiments in article: <strong>Drewing, K. &amp; Lezkan, A. (2021) Masking Interferes with Haptic Texture Perception from Sequential Exploratory Movements. Accepted for publication in Attention, Perception, &amp; Psychophysics.</strong> The datasets include the data analysed in the article, i.e. individual JNDs per experimental condition and individual PSEs per experimental condition and standard stimulus. The datasets also include data from participants that were excluded from analyses due to outlying values. Data are given as tab-separated text file including variable names. Abstract of article Haptic texture perception is based on sensory information sequentially gathered during several lateral movements (‘strokes’). In this process, sensory information of earlier strokes must be preserved in a memory system. We investigated whether this system may be a haptic sensory memory. In the first experiment, participants performed three strokes across each of two textures in a frequency discrimination task. Between the strokes over the first texture, participants explored an intermediate area, which presented either a mask (high-energy tactile pattern) or minimal stimulation (low-energy smooth surface). Perceptual precision was significantly lower with the mask compared with a three-strokes control condition without an intermediate area, approaching performance in a one-stroke-control condition. In contrast, precision in the minimal stimulation condition was significantly better than in the one-stroke control condition and similar to the three-strokes control condition. In a second experiment, we varied the number of strokes across the first stimulus (1, 3, 5, or 7 strokes) and either presented no masking or repeated masking after each stroke. Again masking between the strokes decreased perceptual precision relative to the control conditions without masking. Precision effects of masking over different numbers of strokes were fit by a proven model on haptic serial integration that modeled masking by repeated disturbances in the ongoing integration. Taken together, results suggest that masking impedes the processes of haptic information preservation and integration. We conclude that a haptic sensory memory, which is comparable to iconic memory in vision, is used for integrating sequentially gathered sensory information.本数据集对应论文《Masking Interferes with Haptic Texture Perception from Sequential Exploratory Movements》（作者：Drewing, K. 与 Lezkan, A.，2021年），该论文已被期刊《Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics》接收发表。本数据集包含论文中所分析的全部数据，即各实验条件下的个体差别阈限（Just Noticeable Difference, JND），以及各实验条件与标准刺激下的个体主观相等点（Point of Subjective Equality, PSE）；同时还包含因异常值被排除在正式分析之外的被试数据。所有数据以制表符分隔的文本文件形式提供，文件内包含变量名。 论文摘要：触觉纹理知觉基于多次横向运动（即“抚触”）过程中依次收集的感官信息。在此过程中，前期抚触获取的感官信息需存储于记忆系统中。本研究探讨该系统是否为触觉感官记忆。在第一个实验中，被试在频率辨别任务中对两种纹理各完成三次抚触。在第一种纹理的两次抚触之间，被试需探索一个中间区域，该区域或呈现掩蔽刺激（高能触觉模式），或仅提供极弱刺激（低能光滑表面）。相较于无中间区域的三次抚触对照条件，呈现掩蔽刺激时的知觉精度显著更低，且接近单次抚触对照条件下的表现；反之，极弱刺激条件下的知觉精度显著优于单次抚触对照条件，且与三次抚触对照条件相当。在第二个实验中，我们调整了第一种刺激的抚触次数（1、3、5或7次），并设置两种实验条件：无掩蔽，或每完成一次抚触后重复施加掩蔽。同样，相较于无掩蔽的对照条件，抚触间施加掩蔽会降低知觉精度。针对不同抚触次数下掩蔽对知觉精度的影响，本研究采用已被验证的触觉序列整合模型进行拟合，该模型通过持续整合过程中的重复干扰来模拟掩蔽效应。综合来看，实验结果表明掩蔽会阻碍触觉信息的存储与整合过程。本研究推断，人类用于整合依次收集的感官信息的触觉感官记忆，与视觉中的图标记忆（iconic memory）具有相似性。