Tau and kappa in interception – how perceptual spatiotemporal interrelations affect movements

Abstract

Batting and catching are real-life examples of interception. Due to latencies between the processing of sensory input and the corresponding motor response, successful interception requires accurate spatiotemporal prediction. However, spatiotemporal predictions can be subject to bias. For instance, the more spatially distant two sequentially presented objects are, the longer the interval between their presentations is perceived (kappa effect) and vice versa (tau effect). In this study, we deployed these phenomena to test in two sensory modalities whether temporal representations depend asymmetrically on spatial representations, or whether both are symmetrically interrelated. We adapted the tau and kappa paradigms to an interception task by presenting four stimuli (visually or auditorily) one after another on four locations, from left to right, with constant spatial and temporal intervals in between. In two experiments, participants were asked to touch the screen where and when they predicted a fifth stimulus to appear. In Exp. 2, additional predictive gaze measures were examined. Across experiments, auditory but not visual stimuli produced a tau effect for interception, supporting the idea that the relationship between space and time is moderated by the sensory modality. Results did not reveal classical auditory or visual kappa effects and no visual tau effects. Gaze data in Exp. 2 showed that the (spatial) gaze orientation depended on temporal intervals while the timing of fixations was modulated by spatial intervals, thereby indicating tau and kappa effects across modalities. Together, the results suggest that sensory modality plays an important role in spatiotemporal predictions in interception.

When space rules time: the Kappa effect with concurrent visual and tactile stimulation

“…To this end, the authors in a previous study 5 compared both the Tau and Kappa effects elicited by concurrent visual-tactile stimulation using a shared setup and complementary experimental tasks on space and time perception. Results showed that the Tau effect was only seldom elicited especially in the visual modality, in agreement with recent findings 6 . Conversely, the Kappa effect was consistently elicited across modalities, however suggesting different magnitudes related to the modality involved.…”

Context modulates the impact of auditory information on visual anticipation

“…This interpretation is supported by additional analyses, 5 showing no correlations between location anticipation and speed estimates, further corroborating that these judgments are likely based on different processes. An additional suggestion for future research to examine these processes would be to re-run this task, but employ a different dependent variable, namely temporal estimates of when participants think the ball would land or the object would change direction following racket/ball contact (for example, see Schroeger et al, 2022 ).…”

Auditory Spatial Illusion – A Psychoacoustic Study in Young Adults

“…Illusions are valuable tools for studying perception mechanisms since one can relate neural responses to both the physical aspects of the stimuli and subject's answers (Rajala et al, 2013). In contrast to visual illusions (e.g., change-blindness illusion (O'Regan et al, 1999)) and multisensory illusions (such as kappa and tau effects (Schroeger et al, 2022)), which are well-known and extensively studied, there is limited understanding of spatial auditory illusions and the mechanisms underlying them (Rajala et al, 2013). As the spatial representation of auditory signals does not occur at the receptor level (Grothe et al, 2010), this may make designing experiments a challenge.…”