What determines the weighting of integration on sensory integration?

The Effect of Ambiguous Sound Stimulus on Sound-induced Flash Illusion

Abstract

Perception is determined based on the reliability of each modality when sensory information is integrated. However, it is not clear whether the weighting of integration depends on the information reliability of each sensation or the accuracy of each modality. In this study, we manipulated ambiguity of auditory stimulus by modulating the amplitude modulation depth, and examined whether visual stimulus alters auditory perception in sound-induced flash illusion. When the ambiguous sound, in which participants perceived two tones in 50 %, was presented with two flashes, the percentage of perceiving two sounds was higher than when the ambiguous sound was solely presented. The percentage of double-flashes perception didn’t increase when the ambiguous sound was simultaneously presented with single flash, while it increased when clear two sounds were presented. Therefore, these results suggest that perception is determined based on the information reliability of each sensation.