A comprehensive EEG dataset for investigating visual touch perception
Visual touch perception is fundamental to body awareness and social bonding, helping us perceive ourselves and connect with others. However, understanding its neural basis has been limited by a lack of comprehensive public datasets. To address this, we present an electroencephalography (EEG) and self-report dataset from 80 participants. The dataset includes neural responses from 2,880 trials per participant, in which participants viewed touch interactions between two hands involving either direct skin contact or object-mediated contact. Complementing the EEG data are self-report measures on emotional empathy, perspective-taking, vicarious touch, and mirror-touch synaesthesia, providing a robust resource for exploring individual differences in visual touch perception. Ninety unique videos were shown in four orientations, with half the trials depicting a self-perspective and the other half an other-perspective, and showing either a left or right hand being touched. This design supports investigation into how perspective and hand laterality affect touch processing. Technical validation reveals distinct neural patterns associated with visual, sensory, and emotional touch dimensions, highlighting the potential of this dataset to advance research into diverse aspects of visual touch perception.