Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M1704

Rubber Hand Illusion

Rubber Hand Illusion
Learn & MetacognitionHigh supportCognitive Science
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

By synchronously touching a rubber hand and the participant's real hand (which is hidden from view), the brain quickly 'claims' the rubber hand as its own, experiencing touch sensations.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Self-boundary: The 'self' is not fixed but highly plastic. We can integrate tools (e.g., phones, cars, prosthetics) into the body schema. In human-computer interaction design, the goal is to make the tool 'disappear' and become an extension of the user's body.

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Anchor fast decisions

When synchronous visual (seeing the rubber hand touched) and proprioceptive (real hand touched) information conflict, the brain incorporates the rubber hand into the body schema, generating a sense of ownership.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_transfer_illusionZH · Explicit
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