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Visually Induced Inhibition of Return Affects the Integration of Auditory and Visual Information
N Van der Stoep1, S Van der Stigchel1, T C W Nijboer2
1Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Perception
|August 4, 2016
Summary
Inhibition of Return (IOR) at longer cue-target intervals reduces multisensory integration (MSI). This effect was specific to audiovisual targets, with no IOR observed for auditory or visual targets alone.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Sensory Processing
Background:
- Exogenous spatial attention and multisensory integration (MSI) enhance perceptual event responses.
- Audiovisual integration is reduced at attended locations with short cue-target intervals.
- Longer intervals can lead to Inhibition of Return (IOR), a cost associated with previously cued locations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if Inhibition of Return (IOR) affects multisensory integration (MSI).
- To examine the impact of IOR on auditory, visual, and audiovisual target processing at longer cue-target intervals.
Main Methods:
- Uninformative visual spatial cues were presented 350-450 ms before auditory, visual, or audiovisual targets.
- Response times (RTs) were measured to assess cueing effects and IOR.
- Multisensory response enhancement and race model inequality were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Inhibition of Return (IOR) was observed for visual targets (invalid cue RT < valid cue RT).
- No IOR or spatial cueing effects were found for auditory or audiovisual targets.
- Multisensory integration was reduced at cued locations compared to uncued locations, indicating IOR diminishes MSI.
Conclusions:
- Inhibition of Return (IOR) negatively impacts multisensory integration (MSI).
- The findings suggest that IOR, a phenomenon typically observed for visual targets, also modulates audiovisual processing.
- Changes in unisensory signal strength at cued versus uncued locations likely underlie these effects.
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