Contextual segmentation in the visual stream produces a temporal synchronization effect on visual perception

Abstract

Continuous temporal changes in environmental situations in everyday life can be segmented, in the perception process, into events. In this study, we examine whether contextual segmentation affects visual perception. Fodor and Bever (1965) discovered the temporal synchronization effect on speech perception of contextual segments in spoken language. We converted Fodor's auditory paradigm into a visual task by converting the auditory streams into visual streams, and the brief sounds into brief visual flashes. The detection of a similar temporal synchronization effect would strongly support the perception of a visual stream as the context of the visual event. We conducted two experiments using movies with natural scenes and edited scene segments to examine whether an explicit movie segment had a temporal synchronization effect on flash timing and whether changes in the action context had a similar effect. The results showed that the visual stream could be perceived within contextual segmentation.