Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Tactile perception refers to the ability to sense and interpret information through touch. It involves the perception of textures, temperatures, pressure, and other tactile stimuli.
Sensory adaptation is when our sensory receptors become less responsive over time to constant or repetitive stimuli. For example, if you've been swimming in cold water for a while, you may start to feel less cold as your skin adapts.
Haptic Illusions: Haptic illusions are distortions in our perception of touch. They occur when there is a mismatch between what we physically feel and what we expect to feel based on previous experiences. An example of a haptic illusion is the rubber hand illusion, where touching a fake hand can lead us to perceive it as our own.
Somatosensation: Somatosensation refers to the body's system for processing touch, temperature, pain, and proprioceptive (awareness of body position) information. It involves specialized receptors in the skin called mechanoreceptors that respond to different types of tactile stimuli.