Container size exerts a stronger influence than liquid volume on the perceived weight of objects.

Container size exerts a stronger influence than liquid volume on the perceived weight of objects.
Cognition. 2019 Aug 08;192:104038
Authors: Saccone EJ, Goldsmith RM, Buckingham G, Chouinard PA
Abstract
Many features of an object can influence how we predict and perceive its weight. The current study evaluated the relative contributions of sensory and conceptual processing of object features on weight perception. We employed a novel paradigm to investigate how container size and the amount of liquid inside can influence the perceived weight of bottles and the forces deployed when lifting them. Stimulus pairs always had the same mass but could vary in liquid volume (full vs half-full bottle) or size (large vs small bottle; size-weight illusion (SWI)). In Experiment 1, participants lifted the stimuli via strings, which served to isolate the influence of visual from kinaesthetic information about the size of stimuli on perception and lifting behaviour. In Experiment 2, participants lifted the stimuli via handles that were attached directly to the objects. This lifting style is more likely to include deviations from true vertical lifting, which should theoretically provide more kinaesthetic information about the size of the stimuli. Experiment 1 did not produce any weight illusion. Experiment 2 produced a weight illusion but only when container size differed. Thus, liquid volume did not influence perceived weight when container size was ...

Source: Cognition - August 7, 2019 Category: Neurology Authors: Saccone EJ, Goldsmith RM, Buckingham G, Chouinard PA Tags: Cognition Source Type: research