Dataset for the two Experiments in article: Drewing, K. & Lezkan, A. (2021) Masking Interferes with Haptic Texture Perception from Sequential Exploratory Movements. Accepted for publication in Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. The datasets include the data analysed in the article, i.e. individual JNDs per experimental condition and individual PSEs per experimental condition and standard stimulus. The datasets also include data from participants that were excluded from analyses due to outlying values. Data are given as tab-separated text file including variable names. Abstract of article Haptic texture perception is based on sensory information sequentially gathered during several lateral movements (‘strokes’). In this process, sensory information of earlier strokes must be preserved in a memory system. We investigated whether this system may be a haptic sensory memory. In the first experiment, participants performed three strokes across each of two textures in a frequency discrimination task. Between the strokes over the first texture, participants explored an intermediate area, which presented either a mask (high-energy tactile pattern) or minimal stimulation (low-energy smooth surface). Perceptual precision was significantly lower with the mask compared with a three-strokes control condition without an intermediate area, approaching performance in a one-stroke-control condition. In contrast, precision in the minimal stimulation condition was significantly better than in the one-stroke control condition and similar to the three-strokes control condition. In a second experiment, we varied the number of strokes across the first stimulus (1, 3, 5, or 7 strokes) and either presented no masking or repeated masking after each stroke. Again masking between the strokes decreased perceptual precision relative to the control conditions without masking. Precision effects of masking over different numbers of strokes were fit by a proven model on haptic serial integration that modeled masking by repeated disturbances in the ongoing integration. Taken together, results suggest that masking impedes the processes of haptic information preservation and integration. We conclude that a haptic sensory memory, which is comparable to iconic memory in vision, is used for integrating sequentially gathered sensory information.

Supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB/TRR135/1-2, A05, project number 222641018)