Localization of thermal sensation: An illusion and synthetic heat

Abstract

Touching three thermal stimulators with the first, second, and third fingers of the hand revealed the following phenomena: (1) When the outer two stimulators were warm (or cold) and the center stimulator thermally neutral, warmth (or cold) was felt at all three fingers (referral). (2) When all three stimulators were warm (or cold), the magnitude of warmth (or cold) felt at the middle finger was greater than the sensation felt when the center stimulator alone was touched (enhancement). (3) When the thermal qualities of the center and outer stimulators differed, the sensation at the middle finger often took on the quality of the sensation produced at the outer fingers (domination). (4)Synthetic heat was sometimes experienced when the outer stimulators were warmed and the center stimulator cooled. The results raise interesting possibilities concerning the probable role that tactile stimulation plays in thermal localization. © 1977 Psychonomic Society, Inc.