Bi- & Tri-Modal Enhancement Also During Active Movements
Single Paper Presentation

David Hecht
The Haptics Laboratory, Department of Behavioral Biology, School of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Miriam Reiner
Department of Education in Science & Technology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

     Abstract ID Number: 154
     Full text: Not available
     Last modified: March 19, 2006
     Presentation date: 06/19/2006 10:00 AM in Hamilton Building, Foyer
     (View Schedule)

Abstract
Simultaneous activation of two sensory modalities can improve perception and behavior. This multi-sensory enhancement has been previously observed with passive participants not performing any movement. Since tactile perception is attenuated during active movements, this study investigated whether there is a bi- and a tri-modal enhancement also when subjects are presented with the tactile stimuli while they are engaged in active movements. Participants held a stylus-like lever and performed up & down writing-like movements. During these movements they were presented with a uni-modal sensory signal (visual - a thin red line, auditory – a sound, haptic - a resisting force), a bi- or tri-modal combination of these uni-modal signals. Their task was to respond, as soon as they detect any one of these three stimuli. Reaction Times (RT) were in the following order: tri-modal < bi-modal < uni-modal. Furthermore, the multi-sensory enhancement was even larger when the bi- and tri-modal signals were paired with intervals that equaled their differences in RT between the uni-modal responses (stimulus onset asynchrony).