The Kinaesthetic Fusion Effect: fast-forward 30 years

The Kinaesthetic Fusion Effect: fast-forward 30 years

This study investigated the Kinaesthetic Fusion Effect (KFE) first described by Craske and Kenny in 1981. The current study did not replicate these findings following a change in the reporting method used by participants. Participants did not perceive any reduction in the sagittal separation of a button pressed by the index finger of one arm and a probe touching the other, following repeated exposure to the tactile stimuli present on both unseen arms. This study’s failure to replicate the widely cited KFE as described by Craske et al. (1984) suggests that it may be contingent on several aspects of visual information, especially the availability of a specific visual reference, the role of instructions regarding gaze direction, and the potential use of a line of sight strategy when referring felt positions to an interposed surface. In addition, a foreshortening effect was found; this may result from a line-of-sight judgment and represent a feature of the reporting method used. Finally, this research will benefit future studies that require participants to report the perceived locations of the unseen limbs.

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