The effects of space on Multisensory Integration.
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The integration of sensory signals from different modalities is sensitive not only to the spatial\nand temporal relationship of these sensory signals, but also to their intensity. It is said that low\nintensity unimodal stimuli elicit a larger integration response when presented together than high\nintensity unimodal stimuli do. This phenomenon is also known as inverse effectiveness. \nAlthough the mechanics of inverse effectiveness in two-dimensional space are well established, for three-\ndimensional space this is not so much the case. \n In the present study, stimuli of different intensities were presented in near and far space in \norder to elicit an inverse effectiveness effect. This way a possible interaction between depth and\ninverse effectiveness could be examined. Integration was present in both near and far space, and\nstimuli of high and low intensity behaved according to the inverse effectiveness rule in both near and far space. \n Although the difference in integration between high and low intensity stimuli did not differ \nbetween near and far space, an interaction effect of space with inverse effectiveness was found \nwhen comparing the near space high intensity condition with the far space low intensity condition. \nThis outcome, together with a marginally significant main effect of distance on integration, led us \nto the conclusion that space on its own is too weak of a factor to significantly influence integration, \nbut in conjunction with inverse effectiveness has an effect on multisensory integration.
Author: L.M. Maasse
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W162471493