EFFECT OF DEGREE OF SEPARATION OF VISUAL-AUDITORY STIMULUS AND EYE POSITION UPON SPATIAL INTERACTION OF VISION AND AUDITION

Human subjects were exposed to visual and auditory stimuli that differed spatially in laterality of origin. The subjects were observed for visual biasing of auditory localization (the momentary influence of a light on the spatially perceived location of a simultaneously presented sound) and for auditory aftereffect (a change in perceived location of a sound that persists over time and is measured after termination of the visual stimulus). A significant effect of visual stimulation on auditory localization was found only with the measure of bias. Bias was tested as a function of degree of visual-auditory separation (10/20/30.degree.), eye position (straight-ahead/visual stimulus fixation) and position of visual stimulus relative to auditory stimulus (left/right). Only eye position proved statistically significant; straight-ahead eye position induced more bias than did fixation of the visual stimulus.