Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Applying Incongruent Visual-Tactile Stimuli during Object Transfer with Vibro-Tactile Feedback
Published on: May 23, 2019
When sound and picture do not fit: Mismatch negativity and sensory interaction
Peter Ullsperger1, Udo Erdmann, Gabriele Freude
1Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Noeldnerstr. 40/42, 10317 Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
The Mismatch Negativity (MMN), an index of auditory stimulus representation, was studied in a design of simultaneous auditory and visual stimulus presentation. A counting task drew the attention of participants to picture presentation and was unrelated to the occurring sounds. With the picture of a hammer hitting a nail a standard sound "bang" came along. Rarely, a deviant picture showed the hammer hitting the finger combined with a corresponding deviant sound "ouch." Sometimes this deviant picture was combined with the standard sound. In spite of the absence of a sound deviancy to the standard sounds, also in the latter case a significant MMN was detected, indicating that the actual visual context affected the incoming auditory information leading to a mismatch with the prevailing auditory memory trace. Herewith, MMN gains importance as an index of auditory stimulus representation also in studies of sensory interaction.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Sound Waves: Interference
Interference: Path Lengths
Two special sources may be considered when they are in phase. This can be easily achieved by feeding the two sources from the same source. An example would be synchronizing the two speakers by feeding them with the same source, such as the sound waves produced by a tuning fork. This setup ensures that the two sources have the same frequency and are...
Sensory Modalities
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
Synesthesia
Visual Agnosia

