Tactile perception of pleasantness in relation to perceived softness.

ABSTRACT: The sense of touch allows us to infer objects' physical properties, while the same input also produces affective sensations. These affective sensations are important for interpersonal relationships and personal well-being, which raises the possibility that tactile preferences are adapted to the characteristics of the skin. Previous studies examined how physical properties such as surface roughness and temperature influence affective sensations; however, little is known about the effect of compliance (physical correlate of softness) on pleasantness. Thus, we investigated the psychophysical link between softness and pleasantness. Pieces of human skin-like rubber with different compliances were pressed against participants' fingers. Two groups of participants numerically estimated the perceiv

SUBMITTER: Pasqualotto A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7341757 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature