Multisensory integration processes underlying speech perception as revealed by the McGurk illusion

ABSTRACT

The McGurk illusion is one of the most studied illusions in the multisensory integration literature. It is based on the synchronous presentation of visual lip movement, accompanied by a different auditory syllable resulting in the perception of a third syllable. This illusion provides information regarding the unconscious integration of input from different sensory modalities involved in speech perception. Here, we present a review of the use of the McGurk illusion as a tool for the understanding of multisensory integration processes involved in speech perception. This review intends to provide a better knowledge of the McGurk illusion and the multisensory integration processes involved in speech perception. Also, considering the robustness of the illusion and the insights it provides on multisensory integration processes, we present possible uses of the illusion as a tool to investigate multisensory integration in clinical populations.

KEYWORDS:

• McGurk illusion
• McGurk effect
• multisensory integration
• speech perception
• face perception

Acknowledgements

All the authors contributed to manuscript writing and approved the final version of the manuscript for submission.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This review was supported by grants by FAPESP and CNPq. LMM is supported by a FAPESP Master Grant [grant number 2014/24399-2]. OML is supported by a FAPESP Ph.D. grant [grant number 2012/24696-1]. TLC is supported by a FAPESP Post-doc grant [grant number 2014/11668-5]. PSB is a CNPq research fellow [grant number 311641/2015-6].