Selective integration of auditory-visual looming cues by humans.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_1BA1484FF0A7
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Selective integration of auditory-visual looming cues by humans.
Journal
Neuropsychologia
Author(s)
Cappe C., Thut G., Romei V., Murray M.M.
ISSN
0028-3932 (Print)
ISSN-L
0028-3932
Publication state
Published
Issued date
03/2009
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
47
Number
4
Pages
1045-1052
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
An object's motion relative to an observer can confer ethologically meaningful information. Approaching or looming stimuli can signal threats/collisions to be avoided or prey to be confronted, whereas receding stimuli can signal successful escape or failed pursuit. Using movement detection and subjective ratings, we investigated the multisensory integration of looming and receding auditory and visual information by humans. While prior research has demonstrated a perceptual bias for unisensory and more recently multisensory looming stimuli, none has investigated whether there is integration of looming signals between modalities. Our findings reveal selective integration of multisensory looming stimuli. Performance was significantly enhanced for looming stimuli over all other multisensory conditions. Contrasts with static multisensory conditions indicate that only multisensory looming stimuli resulted in facilitation beyond that induced by the sheer presence of auditory-visual stimuli. Controlling for variation in physical energy replicated the advantage for multisensory looming stimuli. Finally, only looming stimuli exhibited a negative linear relationship between enhancement indices for detection speed and for subjective ratings. Maximal detection speed was attained when motion perception was already robust under unisensory conditions. The preferential integration of multisensory looming stimuli highlights that complex ethologically salient stimuli likely require synergistic cooperation between existing principles of multisensory integration. A new conceptualization of the neurophysiologic mechanisms mediating real-world multisensory perceptions and action is therefore supported.
Keywords
Acoustic Stimulation/methods, Adolescent, Adult, Auditory Perception/physiology, Cues, Female, Humans, Male, Motion Perception/physiology, Photic Stimulation/methods, Psychophysics, Reaction Time/physiology, Visual Perception/physiology, Young Adult
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
27/01/2009 13:11
Last modification date
11/09/2019 6:26
Usage data