Cross-modal enhancement of perceived brightness: Sensory interaction versus response bias

Authors

Yoav Arieh, Montclair State UniversityFollow
Lawrence E. Marks, Yale UniversityFollow
Eric C. Odgaard, University of TampaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 1-1-2003

Journal / Book Title

Perception & Psychophysics

Abstract

Stein, London, Wilkinson, and Price (1996) reported the presence of cross-modal enhancement of perceived visual intensity: Participants tended to rate weak lights as brighter when accompanied by a concurrent pulse of white noise than when presented alone. In the present study, two methods were used to determine whether the enhancement reflects an early-stage sensory process or a later-stage decisional process, such as a response bias. First, the enhancement was eliminated when the noise accompanied the light on only 25% versus 50% of the trials. Second, the enhancement was absent when tested with a paired-comparison method. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the sound-induced enhancement in judgments of brightness reflects a response bias, rather than an early sensory process—that is, enhancement is the result of a relatively late decisional process.

DOI

DOI: 10.3758/BF03194789

MSU Digital Commons Citation

Arieh, Yoav; Marks, Lawrence E.; and Odgaard, Eric C., "Cross-modal enhancement of perceived brightness: Sensory interaction versus response bias" (2003). Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 20.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/psychology-facpubs/20

Published Citation

Odgaard, Eric C., Yoav Arieh, and Lawrence E. Marks. "Cross-modal enhancement of perceived brightness: sensory interaction versus response bias." Perception & psychophysics 65, no. 1 (2003): 123-132.