Audiovisual integration of stimulus transients

Abstract

A change in sound intensity can facilitate luminance change detection. We found that this effect did not depend on whether sound intensity and luminance increased or decreased. In contrast, luminance identification was strongly influenced by the congruence of luminance and sound intensity change leaving only unsigned stimulus transients as the basis for audiovisual integration. Facilitation of luminance detection occurred even with varying audiovisual stimulus onset asynchrony and even when the sound lagged behind the luminance change by 75ms supporting the interpretation that perceptual integration rather than a reduction of temporal uncertainty or effects of attention caused the effect.