Embodiment is a complex concept related to the subjective perception of ownership over one’s own body. The human mind and body cannot be separated, so to fully understand the human being, it is also necessary to understand how one perceives themselves. In general, this construct has been assessed through questionnaires, but validation studies in other cultures and limitations related to language barriers have received little attention. The present research had two objectives: to validate the factorial structure of the “Embodiment Questionnaire” (EQ; Longo et al., 2008) and to develop the Pictographic Embodiment Evaluation Scale (PAE; Figure 1) to measure embodiment without relying on verbal expressions.
A total of 136 participants underwent the Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) procedure, which creates the illusion of embodiment with an artificial hand (Figure 2). The illusion of embodiment was then evaluated using the EQ scale, a Likert-type scale to rate agreement or disagreement with 27 statements, as well as with the PAE. Principal components analysis of EQ scores identified four components: Embodiment, Disembodiment, Affect, and Deafference. Convergent and Discriminant Validity between the EQ and PAE showed significant correlations between PAE scores and the components of Embodiment, Disembodiment, Affect, and Deafference.
The study confirmed the factorial structure of the EQ in a sample of native Spanish speakers and demonstrated that the pictographic scale (PAE) is a useful tool for quickly assessing the embodiment illusion, with high concurrent and convergent validity.
Reference: Sutil-Jiménez, A. J., Alba, G., & Muñoz, M. Á. (2024). Development and validation of a pictographic assessment embodiment scale. *Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology*, 1-7.
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Figure 1. Pictographic Embodiment Evaluation Scale (PAE) |
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Figure 2. Setup used to induce the rubber hand illusion, in the experimental condition (Figure 2a) and in the control condition (Figure 2b). |
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