The Influence of Age on the Frequency of the McGurk Effect

Abstract

Generally, people use more than one sense simultaneously to receive information from the environment. This information is organized in the brain by a process called multisensory integration. The McGurk Effect (ME), which happens when the information received from the eyes does not correspond to the information received from the ears, is considered to be a classic example of multisensory integration. When this conflict happens, the eye dominates the brain. There are several factors that influence whether or not the ME is observed; this research examined how age affects the frequency of displaying the ME. Participants between the ages of 15 to 71 watched 10 videos containing auditory and visual stimuli. One video contained congruent stimuli and the other nine contained incongruent stimuli. After each video, participants were asked what syllable they heard.  There was a positive correlation between age and the frequency of displaying the ME (P = 0.0008). This may be due to an age-related decrease in hearing acuity, which makes older people rely more on visual stimuli.