A system for presenting compound tactile stimuli to a test subject includes a compound tactile stimulus device comprised of a plurality of overlapping stimulus presentation members, each stimulus presentation member including one or more stimulus exemplars related by a specified dimensional property. The device includes manual or automated means for moving and aligning the stimulus presentation members relative to one another to form a predetermined compound tactile stimulus comprised of at least two tactile stimulus exemplars, including at least one exemplar having one or more open spaces allowing the test subject to discriminate between the stimulus exemplars underlying the compound tactile stimulus by extending one or sensory members through the one or more open spaces. The system may include the compound tactile stimulus device integrated into an automated living environment providing automated compound tactile stimulus presentation, including automatic generation of behavioral data under conditions that are less susceptible to experimental bias by minimizing artificial or unnatural testing conditions that may otherwise confound the results.
