Viewpoint on Multisensory Illusions
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: David Alais and Jean Vroomen reflect on the field of multisensory perception and give their views on a range of topics, including how they were first attracted to the field and which researchers were prominent early influences. They also consider important findings such as Bayesian cue combination and foundational neurophysiological work showing multisensory integration in the superior colliculus which shaped the field as a whole and influenced their own work on multisensory perception and illusions. The importance of separating response bias from perceptual sensitivity is noted as a critical point in understanding behavioural experiments and neural oscillations are put forward as a key element in understanding the mechanisms of multisensory perception. Looking to the future, both agree that technological advances such as wearable sensors and virtual/augmented reality offer an opportunity to take multisensory research out of the lab and into the real-world environments for which our senses evolved and optimised.
Source: Multisensory Research
Authors: David Alais, Jean Vroomen
Institutions: The University of Sydney, Tilburg University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7223668320