How skin and object temperature influence touch sensation

Abstract

Twenty subjects made magnitude estimations of the apparent heaviness of metallic stimulators of various masses and temperatures (cold, neutral, and warm). The stimulators were placed on the forearm at normal skin temperature (about 33°C), at elevated skin temperature (38°C), and at lowered skin temperature (25°C). Under neutral conditions, we replicated earlier studies: cold objects felt considerably heavier than neutral ones, warm objects somewhat heavier than neutral objects. Warming the skin essentially obliterated the intensifying effect of the warm objects but left unaltered the intensifying effect of the cold objects. Cooling the aim also essentially obliterated the intensifying effect of warm objects. It also diminished, but far from eliminated, the intensifying effect of cold objects. Cold intensification of touch sensation is a large and robust phenomenon and, unlike warm intensification, appears to characterize all body regions. © 1982 Psychonomic Society, Inc.