Bayesian calibration of simultaneity in audiovisual temporal order judgment

Shinya Yamamoto, Makoto Miyazaki, Takayuki Iwano, Shigeru Kitazawa
Poster
Last modified: 2008-05-13

Abstract


After repeated exposure to a pair of audiovisual stimuli with a constant lag, subjects eventually judge the pair as occurring simultaneously (lag adaptation). In contrast, perceptual changes occur in the opposite direction with tactile stimuli, which conforms to a Bayesian integration theory. We previously showed in theory that the effect of Bayesian calibration cannot be observed when the lag adaptation is working in full. This led us to hypothesize that the Bayesian calibration is working even in the audiovisual temporal order judgment, but the effect is concealed behind the lag adaptation mechanism. In the present study, by using two pitches of sounds (1046 and 1480 Hz), we show that lag adaptation is pitch-insensitive. This enabled us to neutralize lag adaptation by associating one pitch of sound with sound first stimuli and the other with light first stimuli. When we delivered each type of stimuli in a randomized order, the point of simultaneity shifted to ‘light-first’ for one pitch of sound associated with sound-first stimuli, and vice versa for the other pitch. The results clearly show that the Bayesian calibration is also working in the audiovisual temporal order judgment in a pitch specific manner behind pitch-insensitive lag adaptation.

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