Intersensory facilitation of reaction time: Evaluation of counter and diffusion coactivation models (Q1899551)

Traditionally, perception and information processing have been studied in one single sensory modality, isolated from all remaining modalities. For example, in determining hearing thresholds the influence of other modalities such as vision or feeling is to be eliminated as much as possible. However, neuroanatomical and -physiological facts, psychological data, and, not least, common experience suggest that there is a more-or-less strong interaction among the modalities. This interaction is sometimes called ``intersensory interaction'' and different varieties of intersensory facilitation can be distinguished according to its influence on perception. On the one hand, we can consider those intersensory interactions which cause an improvement or worsening of perception, e.g. increasing the threshold for visual or auditory stimuli, or faster processing of a stimulus in a given sensory modality. On the other hand, we can study those intersensory interactions which cause a qualitative change in perception, e.g., different perceptions of color when presenting high tones or low tones at the same time. Intersensory interaction is called ``intersensory facilitation'' or ``facilitation,'' for short, if the interaction results in faster processing at some stages of processing, i.e., reducing reaction time, or if it improves perceptibility of stimuli, e.g. lowering of sensory thresholds. The primary purpose of this article is to present a new model of intersensory facilitation called the multichannel diffusion model. The remainder of the article is organized as follows. First we briefly review the earliest and simplest account of intersensory facilitation -- the separate activation race models -- and we summarize the basic evidence that rules out this class. Next we present two coactivation models of intersensory facilitation -- the superposition counter model and the new multichannel diffusion model. Finally, these two competing models are compared by fitting both models to the results of a comprehensive experiment on intersensory facilitation. We conclude by pointing out some difficulties that these data pose for both coactivation models.