Document Detail


Efficient visual search from synchronized auditory signals requires transient audiovisual events.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20498844     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: A prevailing view is that audiovisual integration requires temporally coincident signals. However, a recent study failed to find any evidence for audiovisual integration in visual search even when using synchronized audiovisual events. An important question is what information is critical to observe audiovisual integration. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we demonstrate that temporal coincidence (i.e., synchrony) of auditory and visual components can trigger audiovisual interaction in cluttered displays and consequently produce very fast and efficient target identification. In visual search experiments, subjects found a modulating visual target vastly more efficiently when it was paired with a synchronous auditory signal. By manipulating the kind of temporal modulation (sine wave vs. square wave vs. difference wave; harmonic sine-wave synthesis; gradient of onset/offset ramps) we show that abrupt visual events are required for this search efficiency to occur, and that sinusoidal audiovisual modulations do not support efficient search. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Thus, audiovisual temporal alignment will only lead to benefits in visual search if the changes in the component signals are both synchronized and transient. We propose that transient signals are necessary in synchrony-driven binding to avoid spurious interactions with unrelated signals when these occur close together in time.
Authors:
Erik Van der Burg; John Cass; Christian N L Olivers; Jan Theeuwes; David Alais
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2010-05-14
Journal Detail:
Title:  PloS one     Volume:  5     ISSN:  1932-6203     ISO Abbreviation:  PLoS ONE     Publication Date:  2010  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-05-25     Completed Date:  2010-09-07     Revised Date:  2010-09-30    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101285081     Medline TA:  PLoS One     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  e10664     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Cognitive Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. e.van.der.burg@psy.vu.nl
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Acoustic Stimulation
Adult
Auditory Perception*
Female
Humans
Male
Sound Localization / physiology*
Visual Perception / physiology*
Young Adult
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