How Our Body Size Affects How We See the World
Author Information
Author(s): van der Hoort Björn, Guterstam Arvid, Ehrsson H. Henrik
Primary Institution: Brain, Body and Self Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Hypothesis
Does the size of one's own body influence the perception of object size and distance?
Conclusion
The size of one's own body directly influences how we perceive the size and distance of objects in the external world.
Supporting Evidence
- Participants felt ownership of artificial bodies of different sizes.
- Perception of object size and distance changed significantly based on body ownership.
- Physiological responses indicated emotional reactions to perceived threats to the artificial bodies.
Takeaway
If you feel like you're really small, everything looks bigger and farther away, and if you feel really big, everything looks smaller and closer.
Methodology
Participants experienced ownership of artificial bodies of different sizes and reported their perceptions of object size and distance.
Potential Biases
Potential biases from participants' familiarity with the experimental setup and the artificial bodies used.
Limitations
The study primarily involved healthy adult participants, which may limit generalizability to other populations.
Participant Demographics
198 naive, healthy adult participants, with varying ages and a mix of genders.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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