Funding for this research was provided by:
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/T022523/1)
Article History
Accepted: 13 November 2021
First Online: 3 December 2021
Declarations
:
: The authors have no conflicts of interest that are relevant to the content of this article.
: This study received ethical approval from both the University of Exeter Sports and Health Sciences Ethics Committee and the University of Bath Psychology Ethics Committee and adhered to the institution’s ethical guidelines.
: Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants in the study after the study instructions were explained, and participants had the opportunity to ask questions. Participants were reminded that all data would be anonymous and that they were free to withdraw at any time.
: Individual participants provided consent for their anonymized data to be stored and published.
: This study furthers our understanding of how multisensory integration actively shapes our perception of the environment. We have provided a better understanding of the material-weight illusion, showing that when expectations about weight are derived from tactile material cues, the resulting illusion is stronger than when visual cues drive the illusion. Importantly, this shows an interaction between higher-level expectations that drive heaviness perception and multisensory integration, appreciating the rich context in which perception is constructed. Future research should appreciate the mechanistic role of modality and consider the influence on top-down perceptual processes.