Perception-to-Action Transfer: The Role of Audiovisual Integration

This study investigated the effect of audiovisual integration on perception and action and perception-to-action transfer. For this purpose, 30 subjects were selected and randomly divided to three groups: visual, visual-auditory (single-channel), visual-auditory (two-channel). Subjects in the visual group watched the pattern of a skilled basketball player, while the other groups were provided with the sonification of elbow angular velocity (one- channel group) and elbow and wrist angular velocity (two-channel group) in addition to watching the pattern. The pattern was presented to subjects five times and participants answered ten questions about different aspects of the pattern. Eventually, they participated in parameter recognition and pattern recongnition tests. For each elbow and wrist joints, four variables were identified: Maximum flexion angular velocity Error (MfavE), Maximum extention angular velocity Error (MeavE), Maximum range Error of flexion (MrEf) and Total Parameter time (TPt). Results showed that on “percent confidence reply” and “reply to questions” there was significant difference between experimental groups. Results showed that in movement reproduction stage in variables (MeavE) and (TPt) for both elbow and wrist joints, there was significant difference between groups in favor of the audiovisual groups. This study supports the positive effect of visual-auditory integration on perception and reproduction. Moreover, positive perception-to-action transfer was confirmed for two sensory groups. The results are consistent with modality appropriateness hypothesis. The results indicate that due to certain temporal adjustments in basketball jump shot task, the modality that dominates the perception in the context of this task is auditory.