People with a weaker sense of self are more likely to experience the rubber hand illusion, even when visual and tactile cues are mismatched, revealing a deep link between psychological identity and physical body awareness.
The Research
At McGill University, a team led by professor Jennifer Bartz used the classic "rubber hand illusion" to explore how our sense of self is tied to our bodily boundaries. In this experiment, 77 participants aged 18–40 from the McGill community had one hand hidden behind a screen, while a real-looking rubber hand was placed in front of them. Both the real and fake hands wore gloves to match appearance. Researchers then stroked both hands with paintbrushes—either in sync or out of sync—and asked participants to rate their sense of ownership over the rubber hand.
As expected, most participants felt the rubber hand was theirs when the strokes were synchronized. But the key finding was that individuals who scored lower on a scale measuring the clarity, coherence, and stability of their identity reported feeling ownership even when the strokes were asynchronous—when the visual and tactile signals were completely mismatched. This means their physical sense of self was more malleable, more easily tricked into accepting the fake hand as part of their body.
This study replicates and confirms a smaller pilot study led by co-author Sonia A. Krol, solidifying the empirical link between abstract psychological identity and bodily awareness. The results were published in the journal Psychological Research (May 2026).
Why It Matters
These findings support the theory of "embodied cognition"—the idea that our thoughts, emotions, and sense of self are not separate from our physical body but are deeply rooted in it. This has important implications for psychiatric conditions like borderline personality disorder (BPD), where people often struggle with identity instability. Understanding that a fragmented self-concept is tied to a more flexible body boundary could open new therapeutic avenues, such as body-focused interventions to help strengthen a person's sense of self.
For the rest of us, it highlights how our mental state can influence how we physically perceive ourselves and the world. If you feel uncertain about your identity, you might be more susceptible to external influences—not just psychologically, but in your bodily perception too.
What You Can Do
Want to strengthen your sense of self? Here are a few evidence-based steps:
- Practice mindfulness: Paying attention to your body and breath can enhance body awareness and self-clarity.
- Journaling: Reflecting on your values and goals can help solidify your identity.
- Engage in cognitive training: Brain training games that challenge attention and memory may indirectly support a more stable self-concept.
"A weaker psychological sense of self directly correlates with a lower baseline of fundamental bodily awareness." — Dr. Jennifer Bartz, senior author
Source: Neuroscience News
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