The role of vibration in the tactual perception of roughness

Katz (1925) has argued that the sense of vibration underlies the tactual perception of roughness. However, Taylor and Lederman (1975) have suggested that vibration serves only to prevent the cessation of mechanoreceptor activity. In an experimental evaluation of these positions, it is shown that, although prior (selective) adaptation of the fingertip strongly affects the perceived magnitude of supraliminal vibrotactile signals, it fails to alter the perceived roughness of metal gratings. The results thus favor the Taylor and Lederman position. The paper also speculates on roughness coding by the mechanoreceptor populations present in glabrous skin of the human hand.