Static visual targets disappear from visual awareness when superimposed on a moving pattern (motion-induced blindness: MIB). Previously, we found that sound bursts released MIB when the audio-visual stimuli spatiotemporally corresponded (Shibata et al., 2008; Perception; 37, 98). Here, using a sound burst, we investigated the latency of the MIB release. In Experiment 1, we manipulated the presence/absence of a white noise burst (50ms, 75 dBA SPL) and the durations of the MIB stimulus presentation (50–3200 ms) after participants’ MIB reports. The participants were asked to press an assigned key immediately after the MIB occurrence and judge whether or not the target reappeared just before the end of the MIB stimulus presentation. The results showed that upon presentation of the burst, the target started to reappear approximately 400 ms after the MIB report. Moreover, in Experiment 2, we parametrically varied the sound pressure level of the burst (45, 65, or 85 dBA) and found that the latency in the 85 dBA condition tended to be shorter than that in the 45 dBA condition. We suggest that the latencies for the crossmodal release of MIB can be modulated by the intensity of the auditory stimulus.（本研究では、運動誘発盲によって消失したターゲットの視知覚が、聴覚刺激の呈示によって回復するという現象が生起するまでの時間を検討した。その結果、ターゲットが消失して聴覚刺激が呈示されると、400ミリ秒後にターゲットの視知覚が回復し始めることが分かった。また、聴覚刺激の音圧が85 dBA条件で45 dBA条件よりも回復までにかかる時間が短くなる傾向が分かった。）
Michiaki Shibata, Yousuke Kawachi, Satoshi Yairi, Yukio Iwaya, Jiro Gyoba,Yôiti Suzuki
