Bayesian Inference Explains Perception of Unity and Ventriloquism Aftereffect: Identification of Com mon Sources of Audiovisual Stimuli

We study a computational model of audiovisual integration by setting a Bayesian observer that localizes visual and auditory stimuli without presuming the binding of audiovisual information. The observer adopts the maximum a posteriori approach to estimate the physically delivered position or timing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNeural computation Vol. 19; no. 12; p. 3335
Main Authors Sato, Yoshiyuki, Toyoizumi, Taro, Aihara, Kazuyuki
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge MIT Press Journals, The 01.12.2007
Subjects
Bayesian analysis
Estimates
Information
Integration
Sensory perception
Ventriloquism
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Summary:We study a computational model of audiovisual integration by setting a Bayesian observer that localizes visual and auditory stimuli without presuming the binding of audiovisual information. The observer adopts the maximum a posteriori approach to estimate the physically delivered position or timing of presented stimuli, simultaneously judging whether they are from the same source or not. Several experimental results on the perception of spatial unity and the ventriloquism effect can be explained comprehensively if the subjects in the experiments are regarded as Bayesian observers who try to accurately locate the stimulus. Moreover, by adaptively changing the inner representation of the Bayesian observer in terms of experience, we show that our model reproduces perceived spatial frame shifts due to the audiovisual adaptation known as the ventriloquism aftereffect. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0899-7667
1530-888X