Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
07:13
A Two-interval Forced-choice Task for Multisensory Comparisons
Published on: November 9, 2018
Biological motion is perceived as faster with shorter auditory time intervals
Sudenur Ozkan1, Seyma Koc Yilmaz2, Hulusi Kafaligonul3,4
1Department of Neuroscience, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, 06800, Türkiye. sudenur.ozkan@bilkent.edu.tr.
Scientific Reports
|June 21, 2026
Summary
Auditory timing influences how we perceive the speed of human walking. This crossmodal effect shows that sound timing shapes our visual perception of biological motion.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Crossmodal interactions refine perceptual experience over time.
- Auditory timing influences simple visual motion perception (e.g., flashes, clicks).
- The effect of auditory timing on complex biological motion perception remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if auditory timing affects the perceived speed of human locomotion.
- To determine if temporal audiovisual interactions extend to complex biological motion.
Main Methods:
- Participants compared walking speeds of point-light walkers (PLWs).
- PLWs were presented with auditory footstep sounds varying in inter-sound interval.
- Onset and offset timing cues were manipulated to assess temporal locking.
Main Results:
- Perceived walking speed systematically rescaled with auditory timing, showing a robust crossmodal influence.
- The effect was not locked to specific onset or offset cues, indicating reliance on overall auditory intervals.
- The influence persisted regardless of semantic congruence of sounds.
Conclusions:
- Auditory timing significantly influences the perception of biological motion speed.
- Crossmodal temporal interactions extend to naturalistic human locomotion.
- Auditory timing acts as a dominant low-level cue for perceptual coherence in multisensory environments.
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