title: Cross-modal prediction changes the timing of conscious access during the motion-induced blindness.
abstract: Despite accumulating evidence that perceptual predictions influence perceptual content, the relations between these predictions and conscious contents remain unclear, especially for cross-modal predictions. We examined whether predictions of visual events by auditory cues can facilitate conscious access to the visual stimuli. We trained participants to learn associations between auditory cues and colour changes. We then asked whether congruency between auditory cues and target colours would speed access to consciousness. We did this by rendering a visual target subjectively invisible using motion-induced blindness and then gradually changing its colour while presenting congruent or incongruent auditory cues. Results showed that the visual target gained access to consciousness faster in congruent than in incongruent trials; control experiments excluded potentially confounding effects of attention and motor response. The expectation effect was gradually established over blocks suggesting a role for extensive training. Overall, our findings show that predictions learned through cross-modal training can facilitate conscious access to visual stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, United Kingdom; Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: ac524@sussex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Acer Y C
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, United Kingdom; School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.affiliation: Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, United Kingdom; Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Anil K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Seth
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Audiovisual association; Motion induced blindness; Predictive coding