Change of rapid temporal recalibration magnitude for audiovisual asynchrony with modulation of temporal binding window width: A preliminary investigation

The subjective synchrony perception for audiovisual stimuli is affected by previous temporal information. The point of subjective simultaneity is shifted toward the same asynchronous direction of audiovisual stimuli in a previous trial. This phenomenon is called “rapid temporal recalibration.” The factors that modulate the magnitude of rapid temporal recalibration have not been fully investigated. Previously, a positive correlation has been found between the magnitude of rapid temporal recalibration and the width of the temporal binding window (TBW). This preliminary study examined the causal relationship between TBW size and rapid recalibration magnitude using a single experimental group comparison design. In this experiment, the magnitude of rapid recalibration was compared before and after perceptual training, which narrowed the TBW width. The results indicated that the magnitude of rapid recalibration was reduced by perceptual training. Therefore, it was speculated that TBW size determined the magnitude of rapid recalibration. This causal relationship helps elucidate the mechanisms of the adaptation for temporal lags between visual and auditory sensations.