Vision influences tactile perception without proprioceptive orienting

An experiment is reported which dissociates vision and proprioception, and demonstrates for the first time that vision of a body part, independent of proprioceptive orienting, can indeed effect somatosensation.

Abstract

The perception of tactile stimuli is facilitated when subjects look towards the stimulated body site: this facilitation even takes place when visual information is unavailable, as when orienting in the dark. It is not known whether the facilitation is due entirely to such proprioceptive orienting of eye and head, or whether visual information of the body site can also facilitate touch. An experiment is reported which dissociates vision and proprioception, and demonstrates for the first time that vision of a body part, independent of proprioceptive orienting, can indeed effect somatosensation.