Performing a task jointly enhances the sound-induced flash illusion.

Wahn B, Rohe T, Gearhart A, Kingstone A, Sinnett S (2020)

Publication Language: English

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Taylor & Francis (Psychology Press): STM, Behavioural Science and Public Health Titles / Taylor & Francis (Psychology Press)

Pages Range: 1747021820942687

DOI: 10.1177/1747021820942687

Abstract

Our senses are stimulated continuously. Through multisensory integration, different sensory inputs may or may not be combined into a unitary percept. Simultaneous with this stimulation, people are frequently engaged in social interactions, but how multisensory integration and social processing interact is largely unknown. The present study investigated if, and how, the multisensory sound-induced flash illusion is affected by a social manipulation. In the sound-induced flash illusion, a participant typically receives one visual flash and two auditory beeps and she or he is required to indicate the number of flashes that were perceived. Often, the auditory beeps alter the perception of the flashes such that a participant tends to perceive two flashes instead of one flash. We tested whether performing a flash counting task with a partner (confederate), who was required to indicate the number of presented beeps, would modulate this illusion. We found that the sound-induced flash illusion was perceived significantly more often when the flash counting task was performed with the confederate compared with performing it alone. Yet, we no longer find this effect if visual access between the two individuals is prevented. These findings, combined with previous results, suggest that performing a multisensory task jointly-in this case an audiovisual task-lowers the extent to which an individual attends to visual information, which in turn affects the multisensory integration process.

Authors with CRIS profile

Tim Rohe Juniorprofessur für Wahrnehmungspsychologie

Involved external institutions

University of British Columbia CA Canada (CA) University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Wahn, B., Rohe, T., Gearhart, A., Kingstone, A., & Sinnett, S. (2020). Performing a task jointly enhances the sound-induced flash illusion. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1747021820942687. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1747021820942687

MLA:

Wahn, Basil, et al. "Performing a task jointly enhances the sound-induced flash illusion." Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2020): 1747021820942687.

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