Asymmetrical Body Perception: A Possible Role for Neural Body Representations.

A study examined perceived arm length among right- and left-handed people. Data were obtained from three experiments that explored handedness and perception of arm length, handedness and perceived reach, and perceived hand size and grasping ability in right-handed participants, respectively. Findi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological Science. Vol. 20; no. 11; pp. 1373 - 1381
Main Authors: Linkenauger, Sally A., Witt, Jessica K., Bakdash, Jonathan Z., Stefanucci, Jeanine K., Proffitt, Dennis R.
Format: Article
Published: HWW Temp November 2009
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:A study examined perceived arm length among right- and left-handed people. Data were obtained from three experiments that explored handedness and perception of arm length, handedness and perceived reach, and perceived hand size and grasping ability in right-handed participants, respectively. Findings revealed that when looking at each arm and hand individually, right-handed participants perceived their right arms and right hands to be longer than their left arms and left hands. Findings also revealed that in contrast, those who are left-handed perceived both arms accurately. Findings suggested a possible association between implicit body maps in the brain and conscious perceptions of the body. Findings are discussed in detail.