Tactile temporal predictions: The influence of conditional probability

Abstract

Predicting the timing of incoming information allows brain to optimize information processing in dynamic environments. However, the effects of temporal predictions on tactile perception are not well established. In this study, two experiments were conducted to determine how temporal predictions interact with conditional probabilities in tactile perceptual processing. In Experiment 1, we explored the range of the interval between preceding ready cues and imperative targets in which temporal prediction effects can be observed. This prediction effect was observed for intervals of 500 and 1,000 ms. In Experiment 2, we investigated the benefits of temporal predictions on tactile perception while manipulating the conditional probability (setting the stimulus onset earlier or later than the predicted moment in short and long intervals). Our results revealed that this effect became stronger as the probability of the stimulus at the predicted time point increased under short-interval conditions. Together, our results show that the difficulty of transferring processing resources increases in temporally dynamic environments, suggesting a greater subjective cost associated with maladaptive responses to temporally uncertain events.