Description
Responses to bimodal signals are faster than those to their unimodal constituents. This so-called redundant signal effect is affected by sequential effects such as modality switching, where changing modality in a random trial sequence causes a slowing of responses. Critically, while unimodal trials can follow full modality switches (e.g., an auditory following a visual signal), bimodal trials can follow only partial switches (e.g., an audiovisual following a visual signal). Thus, the effect of full modality switches on bimodal responses is unknown. Here, in addition to the standard instruction to detect auditory or visual signals, we presented tactile target signals in the random trial sequence. Consequently, bi- and unimodal trials can follow full modality switches (e.g., an audiovisual following tactile signal). Our data show that modality switching modulates the redundant signal effect, including violations of Miller’s bound, which is often interpreted as a benchmark result indicating multimodal processing interactions. We find larger violations occurring in full modality switch trials and smaller (but still present) ones in modality repetition trials. Interestingly, unlike their unimodal counterparts, bimodal responses are not (or only marginally) affected by full modality switches. Thus, the observed modulation of the redundant signal effect is largely driven by unimodal responses that are slowed due to modality switching. Therefore, understanding modality switching and its differential effect on uni- and bimodal responses will be key to fully understanding the processes underlying the redundant signal effect.| Period | 28 Aug 2024 |
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| Event title | European Conference on Visual Perception |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Aberdeen, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |