Amir Jahanian Najafabadi
Extending perception: Tool Use and the Interplay of Body, Space, and Time
Tools enable us to interact with our environment by extending our physical capabilities, thus enhancing our sensory-motor functions. Decades ago, it was proposed that tools be incorporated into a dynamic neural representation of our body, extending our reach and altering our perception of space. This phenomenon, known as tool embodiment, has been extensively supported by subsequent research, showing for example how tool-use changes how our brain represents the body. However, tool use may also change how our brain represents space, and possibly time. In fact, studies suggested that time perception differs in near and far space and that this difference can be removed by tool use training.
In my talk, I will present a series of studies conducted in physical and virtual settings using visual and haptic feedback. I will discuss how tool use experience influences our sensorimotor representations, offering insights into the neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying tool embodiment and the interconnectedness of time and space perception.
DFG SPP "The Active Self" 