| Abstract: | In 2 experiments, participants haptically estimated length and heaviness of handheld rods while wielding without seeing them. The sets of rods had been constructed such that variation of static moment and the 1st eigenvalue of the inertia tensor (It) were separated. Consistent with previous findings, perceived rod length correlated strongly with It. However, multiple regressions on current data as well as data from previous studies showed a comparable strong correlation between perceived rod length and static moment plus mass. Contrary to previous findings, perceived heaviness correlated strongly with static moment and only weakly with the eigenvalues of the inertia tensor. These results suggest that the inertia tensor does not provide the sole foundation for a theory of dynamic touch. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
