The temporal binding window for audiovisual speech: Children are like little adults. (29th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hillock-Dunn, Andrea; Grantham, D. Wesley; Wallace, Mark T.
• Is Part Of: Neuropsychologia. Volume 88(2016)
• Page Start: 74
• Page End: 82
• Publication Date: 2016-07-29
• Subjects: Development -- Maturation -- Auditory -- Visual -- Multisensory -- Temporal -- Mcgurk effect; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychologie -- Périodiques; Neuropsychology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.02.017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-3932

Abstract

Abstract: During a typical communication exchange, both auditory and visual cues contribute to speech comprehension. The influence of vision on speech perception can be measured behaviorally using a task where incongruent auditory and visual speech stimuli are paired to induce perception of a novel token reflective of multisensory integration (i.e., the McGurk effect). This effect is temporally constrained in adults, with illusion perception decreasing as the temporal offset between the auditory and visual stimuli increases. Here, we used the McGurk effect to investigate the development of the temporal characteristics of audiovisual speech binding in 7–24 year-olds. Surprisingly, results indicated that although older participants perceived the McGurk illusion more frequently, no age-dependent change in the temporal boundaries of audiovisual speech binding was observed. Highlights: The temporal profile of audiovisual speech binding is remarkably similar in children, adolescents and adults. Children and adolescents integrate audiovisual speech less readily and report the auditory cue more than adults. Mature audiovisual temporal binding windows for speech emerge before adult-like integrative capacity is fully realized.