The influence of competing perceptual and motor priors in the context of the size–weight illusion
Abstract
When lifting objects of identical mass but different sizes, people perceive the smaller objects as weighing more than the larger ones (the 'size-weight' illusion, SWI). While individual's grip and load force rates are rapidly scaled to the objects' actual mass, the magnitude of the force used to lift these SWI-inducing objects is rarely discussed. Here, we show that participants continue to apply a greater loading force to a large SWI-inducing cube than to a small SWI cube, lift after lift. These differences in load force persisted long after initial errors in grip and load force rates had been corrected. Interestingly, participants who showed the largest illusion made the smallest errors in load force. This unexpected relationship suggests that the motor system is consistently biased toward the expectations of heaviness for a particular stimulus in a Bayesian fashion, and that this loading error is subsequently reduced by SWI perceptual errors in the opposite direction.
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Grip and lifting forces are believed to be distinct from the perceptual illusion of felt heaviness in the size-weight illusion paradigm.
“Grip and lifting forces are believed to be distinct from the perceptual illusion of felt heaviness in the SWI paradigm [45,47,59].”
From Testing predictive coding theories of autism spectrum disorder using models of active inference (2023) · cites this paper as [47]
Stronger grip forces are indicative of an expectation of heaviness, as shown in previous literature.
“with stronger grip forces taken to be indicative of an expectation of heaviness, as extensively shown in previous literature [45,47].”
From Testing predictive coding theories of autism spectrum disorder using models of active inference (2023) · cites this paper as [47]
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Testing predictive coding theories of autism spectrum disorder using models of active inference
Arthur, T., Vine, S., Buckingham, G., Brosnan, M., Wilson, M., & Harris, D. (2023) · PLoS Computational Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011473 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“Grip and lifting forces are believed to be distinct from the perceptual illusion of felt heaviness in the SWI paradigm [45,47,59].”
BackgroundMethodSelf-citation
- Authors
- Buckingham, G., & Goodale, M. A.
- Affiliations
- Western University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Buckingham, Gavin
- Venue
- Experimental Brain Research
- Published
- 2010-07-08
- Volume
- 205
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 283-288
- ISSN
- 0014-4819 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-1106
- OpenAlex
- W2006801130
- Cited by
- 52
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Experimental Brain Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Scholarship@Western (Western University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Multisensory perception and integration
- Keywords
- size-weight illusion, perceptual priors, Bayesian inference, grip force, load force, object lifting, perception-action coupling
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Physical Exertion, Female, Humans, Illusions, Kinesis, Male, Photic Stimulation, Size Perception, Visual Perception, Weight Perception, Lifting, Hand Strength, Young Adult
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