Investigation of Effects of a Mirror Presence of Self During Tactile Reaction Time Task

From previous research, it has been observed that neural summation can be observed from reaction time tasks. This is observed through race models, as proposed by J.O. Miller. These models are referred to as “race models” as different stimuli “race” to extract a response during tasks. The race model is augmented by the Race Model Inequality, which claims the probability that two simultaneous signals will have a faster reaction time than the summation of the probabilities of two individual signals. When this inequality expression is violated, it indicates neural summation is occurring. In another study, researchers studied how the location of visual stimuli influences neural summation with tactile information, observing the visual stimuli from different distances and a mirrored reflection condition. However, results of the mirror condition did not follow the other visual conditions, offering unique properties. The mirrored case is examined more closely in this project, attempting to answer if the presence of a mirrored representation of the hand will affect reaction time during timed tasks, suggesting the occurrence of neural summation, and suggesting that a mirrored reflection of self is interpreted as an independent channel of information. This was measured by evaluating participants’ response time while manipulating the presence of a reflection and checking if they violate the race model. However, the results of this study indicated that the presence of a mirror does not have an effect in reaction time and therefore did not present the occurrence of neural summation