Schubert, T. 1 , Toscano, H. 1 , Seibt, B. 1 , Mazzurega, M. 2 , Paladino, M. 2 & Pavani, F. 2
1 CIS, ISCTE-IUL, Lisbon, Portugal
2 University of Trento
Synchrony between sensations tags what gets integrated in the bodily representation. When the own body is stimulated in synchrony with perceived stimulation of another body part, representations of the other and the own body merge (rubberhand illusion). Experiencing such an inclusion of another person’s body in the own bodily representation leads to feelings of closeness and conformity with the other. We argue that this process underlies formation and change of social relations. Here, we show in two studies that the rubberhand illusion impacts attitudes towards the other’s group. Participants’ hands were brushed in synchrony or asynchrony with perceived brushing of either an ingroup or an outgroup member’s hand (different skin color or different age). Synchronous experiences led to the bodily illusion of felt ownership for the stranger’s hand and a sense of overlap to that person. Group membership had little impact on the illusion. After experiencing synchrony with an ingroup member and asynchrony with an outgroup member, participants identified more exclusively with their ingroup, and preferred their ingroup more over the outgroup (compared to experiencing synchrony with an outgroup member and asynchrony with an ingroup member). Overlap of bodily representations is one of the embodiments underlying social identification with groups.