Spatial attentional shifts: Implications for the role of polysensory mechanisms

Abstract

Simple reaction times to lateralized visual (Experiment 1) or auditory (Experiment 2) targets were studied in normal subjects. The targets were preceded by a visual or auditory cue located on the same (valid cue), or opposite (invalid cue) side as the subsequent target, or on both sides (neutral cue), with one of four cue target intervals. The validity of visual and auditory cues influenced the speed of response to the visual target but not to the auditory target. It is hypothesized that cross-modal cueing of spatial position works only with modalities for which a movement (e.g. saccade) leads to improved sensory analysis.