The development of intersensory temporal perception: An epigenetic systems/limitations view.

Abstract

Several theories have stressed the importance of intersensory integration for development but have not identified specific underlying integration mechanisms. The author reviews and synthesizes current knowledge about the development of intersensory temporal perception and offers a theoretical model based on epigenetic systems theory, proposing that responsiveness to 4 basic features of multimodal temporal experience--temporal synchrony, duration, temporal rate, and rhythm--emerges in a sequential, hierarchical fashion. The model postulates that initial developmental limitations make intersensory synchrony the basis for the integration of intersensory temporal relations and that the emergence of responsiveness to the other, increasingly more complex, temporal relations occurs in a hierarchical, sequential fashion by building on the previously acquired intersensory temporal processing skills.

Developmental Trajectory of Audiovisual Speech Integration in Early Infancy. A Review of Studies Using the McGurk Paradigm

“…Likewise, no age-related change was detected for looking at the eyes in any condition. Th ese results are inconsistent with the intersensory redundancy hypothesis (Bahrick, Flom, & Lickliter, 2002;Lewkowicz, 2000), which would predict increased att ention to the mouth only for congruent (redundant) speech cues. Some methodological diff erences between the Tomalski et al (2013) study and the Lewkowicz and Hansen-Tift (2012) study may have contributed to these inconsistencies.…”

Perception of visual-tactile colocation in the first year of life.

“…However, multisensory perceptual development has been primarily investigated via investigations of infants' learning about crossmodal temporal relations (typically in the auditory and visual modalities). For instance, it has been demonstrated that an ability to detect audiovisual synchrony and intensity (loudness matched with brightness) emerges early in infancy (e.g., Bahrick, 1992;Bahrick, Flom & Lickliter, VISUAL-TACTILE CO-LOCATION IN INFANTS 4 2002;Lewkowicz, 1996;Lewkowicz, 2000;Lewkowicz & Turkewitz, 1980;Spelke, 1976).…”

Minding time in an amodal representational space

“…Temporal relationships of multisensory events are an important factor in building a percept; the sensitivity to temporal features across sensory modalities are already well developed in infants of a few months old (Lewkowicz 2000). In turn, the ability to match temporal properties across sensory modalities suggests that they are largely accessible to conscious awareness.…”