Perception & Cognition
PRACTICAL KINESTHESIA
a model for understanding sensations in body movement
Revised from J.S.Longstaff (1996 & 2003)


Summary

Kinesthesia. I. Variety of terms and concepts

A variety of terms and concepts have been used to describe aspects of the perception of body movements and positions, for example

  • kinesthesia,
  • proprioception,
  • somaesthesia,
  • haptic system or touch,
  • position sense or movement sense
  • muscle sense or joint sense, or
  • sixth sense.
The internal / external distinction in concepts of proprioception / exteroception are not valid criteria for classifying sensory systems and so a concept of kinesthesia as arising in both internal & external data from receptors throughout the body offers an integrated model.

Kinesthesia. II. Sensory stimulation

At the stimulation level kinesthetic, raw sensory data arise throughout the body from receptors in:
  • muscles,
  • tendons,
  • joints,
  • skin,
  • vestibular apparatus,
  • eyes,
  • ears, and
  • from 'central feedback' of interior knowledge of motor commands (efference).

Kinesthesia. III. Kinesthetic perceptions

At the perceptual level the collections of kinesthetic sensory data from throughout the body are integrated into distinct kinesthetic perceptual systems of:
  1. balance and equilibrium,
  2. self-motion,
  3. limb–motion,
  4. limb position, and
  5. force or exertion.