Auditory cue effect on visual temporal order judgment: the spatial proximity of audio and visual stimuli

Yuki HONGOH, Department of Psychology, Kobe University (JSPS Research Fellow)

Abstract
We examined the effect of auditory cue on visual temporal-order judgment (TOJ). A pair of small speakers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were used in order to make proximate the locations of auditory and visual stimuli. Two visual stimuli were presented successively at a short interval after an auditory cue, which was presented on either the right or left side. Results showed biased judgment that the visual target at the auditory-cued side was presented first. This effect remained even when the auditory and visual stimuli were 600ms apart. Compared with results of our preceding study (Hongoh & Kita, 2005), in which a headset and a CRT display were used, the auditory cue effect in the present study was smaller. In other words, the auditory cue effect on visual TOJ was less substantial when the distance of auditory and visual stimuli was reduced. This difference suggests that the unambiguity of the auditory cue sound localization plays an important role in the auditory cue effect on visual TOJ. This effect might not be due to the often-cited hypothesis that multisensory stimuli are from a same event or a sequence of related events.

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