Contribution of haptic information to the process by which a mental image of ownership enhances value

It is known that the value of an object can be increased by forming an image of owning the object without actually possessing it. However, the detailed mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unknown. In this study, we conducted two experiments using newly created three-dimensional abstract objects to examine whether the formation of a mental image of ownership increases the value of an object when a participant has a haptic experience of the object. The results suggest that when participants’ mental visual imagery ability was relatively high, having a haptic experience increased the value of the object through their image of ownership. For others, however, imagining ownership lowered the value of the object. The results also indicate that obtaining spatial information about an object through a haptic experience increases the value of the object. This study suggests that haptic information about an object contributes to the mechanism modulating how the value of an object is influenced by individual differences in visuospatial imagery ability.