Abstract
In manual choice reaction time (RT) tasks, people respond faster to a visual target stimulus when it is accompanied by a task-irrelevant tone than when it is presented alone. This intersensory facilitation effect is often attributed to multisensory integration, but here we show it to be a reflection of temporal preparation. According to this view, the more rapidly processed tone serves as a warning signal (S1), which initiates preparation for the more sluggish visual target (S2). To test this view, we varied the delay between S1 and S2 in conjunction with the modality of S1 (auditory or visual). For brief delays, responses to S2 were faster when S1 was auditory than when it was visual. Crucially, however, this intersensory facilitation effect disappeared after correction for the difference in S1-detection time, equating the effective preparation period. This shows that sound speeds response to a visual target only through preparation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
