Changing the Tendency to Integrate the Senses

Abstract

Integration of sensory signals that emanate from the same source, such as the visual of lip articulations and the sound of the voice of a speaking individual, can improve perception of the source signal (e.g., speech). Because momentary sensory inputs are typically corrupted with internal and external noise, there is almost always a discrepancy between the inputs, facing the perceptual system with the problem of determining whether the two signals were caused by the same source or different sources. Thus, whether or not multisensory stimuli are integrated and the degree to which they are bound is influenced by factors such as the prior expectation of a common source. We refer to this factor as the tendency to bind stimuli, or for short, binding tendency. In theory, the tendency to bind sensory stimuli can be learned by experience through the acquisition of the probabilities of the co-occurrence of the stimuli. It can also be influenced by cognitive knowledge of the environment. The binding tendency varies across individuals and can also vary within an individual over time. Here, we review the studies that have investigated the plasticity of binding tendency. We discuss the protocols that have been reported to produce changes in binding tendency, the candidate learning mechanisms involved in this process, the possible neural correlates of binding tendency, and outstanding questions pertaining to binding tendency and its plasticity. We conclude by proposing directions for future research and argue that understanding mechanisms and recipes for increasing binding tendency can have important clinical and translational applications for populations or individuals with a deficiency in multisensory integration.