The temporal cross-capture of audition and vision

We report that when a flash and audible click occur in temporal proximity 6 0 each other, the perceived time of occurrence of both events is shifted in such a way as to draw them toward temporal convergence. In one experiment, observers judged when a flash occurred by reporting the clock position of a rotating marker. The flash was seen significantly earlier when it was pre ceded by an audible click and significantly later when it was followed by a n audible click, relative to a condition in which the flash and click occur red simultaneously. In a second experiment, observers judged where the mark er was when the click was heard. When a flash preceded or followed the clic k, similar but smaller capture effects were observed. These capture effects may reveal how temporal discrepancies in the input from different sensory modalities are reconciled and could provide a probe for examining the neura l stages at which evoked responses correspond to the contents of conscious perception.