The links between spatial and social perspective-taking

Being able to place yourself “in someone else's shoes” requires two main perspective-taking abilities. First, perceiving another’s spatial point of view (spatial perspective-taking) and second, representing their thoughts and intentions (hereafter social perspective-taking). Recent findings point towards critical links between the processing of higher-order mental information and lower-level spatial abilities using behavioural methods in neurotypicals, in patients, and using neuro-imaging.

Multisensory simulation of touch

Touch is at the boundary between the self, the body, and the environment. It is also a pivotal route for social interactions between individuals. Tactile interactions have been of particular interest in recent years and research suggests that touch can convey specific pro-social and affective signals, which cannot be communicated through any other sensory modality. However, our knowledge of what are the key parameters fostering the experience of touching and being touched during an interaction are limited, thus hindering our ability to simulate touch gestures with a virtual agent.
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