Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FLEX-U (Flexibility to multisensory contestual information in people with sensory disabilities.)
Reporting period: 2023-02-16 to 2025-02-15
Sensory perception is a dynamic and flexible process that allows people to interact with their environment. The perceptual flexibility is not uniform and may be influenced by experience, sensory modality, and the presence of sensory impairments. The FLEX-U project (Flexibility to Multisensory Contextual Information in People with Sensory Disabilities) investigates how individuals integrate and adapt to multisensory information, mainly focusing on differences between people with typical sensory function and those with sensory impairments such as blindness or deafness.
The essence of the project is how sensory information is weighted and adjusted in response to perceptual context. While people with typical sensory development tend to modulate their perception based on contextual cues, those with sensory impairments may show either enhanced compensatory processing or a reduced ability to adapt to changes in sensory input. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for both theoretical advancements in neuroscience and practical applications in assistive technology and rehabilitation.
The project addresses two key challenges:
- Understanding Sensory Flexibility and Rigidity: By examining how individuals integrate and adjust to sensory information. This is why FLEX-U aims to determine whether sensory flexibility is a general trait or if it is specific to certain modalities. This is particularly relevant for individuals with sensory impairments, who may either develop heightened abilities in other senses or, conversely, show more rigid sensory processing.
- Developing Models of Perceptual Behavior: Using computational models based on the Bayesian framework, the project attempts to quantify how different sensory cues influence perception. These models allow us to understand whether integration patterns, such as central tendency bias or serial dependence, emerge across sensory modalities, providing deeper insights into how the brain processes sensory information.
The implications of FLEX-U extend beyond fundamental research. By identifying differences in sensory flexibility, the project can contribute to the development of personalized rehabilitation strategies for individuals with sensory impairments. This knowledge can also inform the design of assistive technologies, such as sensory substitution devices and multisensory training programs, aimed at improving interaction with the environment for those with visual or auditory deficits.
From a broader perspective, the findings of FLEX-U align with European strategic priorities on accessibility, inclusion, and technological innovation. In an increasingly digital and multisensory world, understanding how individuals process sensory information can help shape policies related to accessibility, inclusive education, and human-machine interaction. The project also integrates perspectives from social sciences and humanities, bridging cognitive neuroscience with real-world applications. In particular, it considers the ethical and societal implications of multisensory perception, ensuring that the research findings contribute to practical improvements in the lives of individuals with sensory impairments. By combining behavioral studies with computational modeling, FLEX-U seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of sensory adaptation while fostering innovations that enhance accessibility and inclusivity.
The essence of the project is how sensory information is weighted and adjusted in response to perceptual context. While people with typical sensory development tend to modulate their perception based on contextual cues, those with sensory impairments may show either enhanced compensatory processing or a reduced ability to adapt to changes in sensory input. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for both theoretical advancements in neuroscience and practical applications in assistive technology and rehabilitation.
The project addresses two key challenges:
- Understanding Sensory Flexibility and Rigidity: By examining how individuals integrate and adjust to sensory information. This is why FLEX-U aims to determine whether sensory flexibility is a general trait or if it is specific to certain modalities. This is particularly relevant for individuals with sensory impairments, who may either develop heightened abilities in other senses or, conversely, show more rigid sensory processing.
- Developing Models of Perceptual Behavior: Using computational models based on the Bayesian framework, the project attempts to quantify how different sensory cues influence perception. These models allow us to understand whether integration patterns, such as central tendency bias or serial dependence, emerge across sensory modalities, providing deeper insights into how the brain processes sensory information.
The implications of FLEX-U extend beyond fundamental research. By identifying differences in sensory flexibility, the project can contribute to the development of personalized rehabilitation strategies for individuals with sensory impairments. This knowledge can also inform the design of assistive technologies, such as sensory substitution devices and multisensory training programs, aimed at improving interaction with the environment for those with visual or auditory deficits.
From a broader perspective, the findings of FLEX-U align with European strategic priorities on accessibility, inclusion, and technological innovation. In an increasingly digital and multisensory world, understanding how individuals process sensory information can help shape policies related to accessibility, inclusive education, and human-machine interaction. The project also integrates perspectives from social sciences and humanities, bridging cognitive neuroscience with real-world applications. In particular, it considers the ethical and societal implications of multisensory perception, ensuring that the research findings contribute to practical improvements in the lives of individuals with sensory impairments. By combining behavioral studies with computational modeling, FLEX-U seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of sensory adaptation while fostering innovations that enhance accessibility and inclusivity.
During the project, FLEX-U has conducted a series of experiments aimed at understanding how people integrate and adapt to sensory information, with a particular focus on sensory flexibility in both typical and sensory-impaired populations.
The project conducted a series of experiments to investigate how contextual information affects three major perceptual domains, such as perception of time, space, and speed. Regarding the temporal and spatial domains, the project focused on investigating what was the relationship between auditory information, visual information and, the contextual effect of central tendency, and the presence or absence of cross-modal effects. A particularly interesting finding is that, in conditions of incongruence between sensory cues, some participants exhibited a more substantial reliance on one modality over the other, suggesting a modality dominance effect that varies depending on individual sensory history and experience. Regarding the speed perception domain in an initial experiment, the aim was to test the power of global (central tendency) and local (serial dependence) contextual effects using visual and auditory stimuli. A second experiment focused on the cross-modal impacts of central tendency in audio-visual and visuo-tactile speed perception was investigated.
A key methodological innovation of FLEX-U has been the implementation of Bayesian modeling to estimate how different sensory cues are weighted in perception and to determine whether adaptation to context follows specific patterns. Our analyses have revealed that sensory information is influenced not only by prior expectations but also by the availability and reliability of sensory information, highlighting potential differences between individuals with typical sensory experiences and those with sensory impairments.
Taken together, the findings of FLEX-U contribute to our understanding of sensory flexibility and rigidity, shedding light on how the brain processes multisensory information in both typical and atypical conditions. These results have important implications for sensory rehabilitation strategies and the development of assistive technologies, as they provide insight into how individuals with sensory impairments adapt to their environments and how interventions might enhance their sensory integration abilities.
The project conducted a series of experiments to investigate how contextual information affects three major perceptual domains, such as perception of time, space, and speed. Regarding the temporal and spatial domains, the project focused on investigating what was the relationship between auditory information, visual information and, the contextual effect of central tendency, and the presence or absence of cross-modal effects. A particularly interesting finding is that, in conditions of incongruence between sensory cues, some participants exhibited a more substantial reliance on one modality over the other, suggesting a modality dominance effect that varies depending on individual sensory history and experience. Regarding the speed perception domain in an initial experiment, the aim was to test the power of global (central tendency) and local (serial dependence) contextual effects using visual and auditory stimuli. A second experiment focused on the cross-modal impacts of central tendency in audio-visual and visuo-tactile speed perception was investigated.
A key methodological innovation of FLEX-U has been the implementation of Bayesian modeling to estimate how different sensory cues are weighted in perception and to determine whether adaptation to context follows specific patterns. Our analyses have revealed that sensory information is influenced not only by prior expectations but also by the availability and reliability of sensory information, highlighting potential differences between individuals with typical sensory experiences and those with sensory impairments.
Taken together, the findings of FLEX-U contribute to our understanding of sensory flexibility and rigidity, shedding light on how the brain processes multisensory information in both typical and atypical conditions. These results have important implications for sensory rehabilitation strategies and the development of assistive technologies, as they provide insight into how individuals with sensory impairments adapt to their environments and how interventions might enhance their sensory integration abilities.
The FLEX-U project has advanced our understanding of multisensory perception by uncovering new insights into sensory flexibility and rigidity in both typical and sensory-impaired individuals. Through controlled laboratory experiments, FLEX-U has systematically examined how individuals integrate sensory and contextual information under different conditions, revealing patterns of perceptual adaptation that were previously unexplored.
One of the key contributions of FLEX-U is the identification of modality-specific differences in the influence of contextual information. While previous research has primarily focused on the effect of the perceptual context within a single modality, our findings show that individuals with sensory impairments or differing sensory histories exhibit distinct patterns of integration and adaptation.
To ensure further uptake and success of these findings, several key areas require attention:
- Further Research and Validation: While our findings provide strong evidence of modality-dependent perceptual adaptation, additional studies in clinical populations (e.g. early and late blind individuals, deaf individuals) could help refine our models and validate these effects in broader contexts.
- Application in Assistive Technology: The project’s insights can inform the design of sensory training programs and assistive devices that optimize multisensory integration for individuals with sensory impairments.
- Policy and Accessibility: By deepening our understanding of sensory adaptation mechanisms, FLEX-U provides valuable insights for designing inclusive environments and improving human-machine interaction, particularly in assistive and rehabilitation contexts.
These advances position FLEX-U at the cutting edge of multisensory perception research, with potential applications ranging from clinical interventions to human-centered technology development. Future collaborations with rehabilitation specialists, engineers, and policymakers will be key to translating these findings into real-world solutions.
One of the key contributions of FLEX-U is the identification of modality-specific differences in the influence of contextual information. While previous research has primarily focused on the effect of the perceptual context within a single modality, our findings show that individuals with sensory impairments or differing sensory histories exhibit distinct patterns of integration and adaptation.
To ensure further uptake and success of these findings, several key areas require attention:
- Further Research and Validation: While our findings provide strong evidence of modality-dependent perceptual adaptation, additional studies in clinical populations (e.g. early and late blind individuals, deaf individuals) could help refine our models and validate these effects in broader contexts.
- Application in Assistive Technology: The project’s insights can inform the design of sensory training programs and assistive devices that optimize multisensory integration for individuals with sensory impairments.
- Policy and Accessibility: By deepening our understanding of sensory adaptation mechanisms, FLEX-U provides valuable insights for designing inclusive environments and improving human-machine interaction, particularly in assistive and rehabilitation contexts.
These advances position FLEX-U at the cutting edge of multisensory perception research, with potential applications ranging from clinical interventions to human-centered technology development. Future collaborations with rehabilitation specialists, engineers, and policymakers will be key to translating these findings into real-world solutions.