Multisensory integration and sense modalism

Abstract

The Bayesian model of multisensory cue integration proposed by Ernst and Banks ([2002]) provides an attractive model for understanding a way that our sensory systems may interact. Moreover, it has been suggested that the process of multisensory integration that it models underpins conscious experiences with multisensory representational contents merged across modalities (de Vignemont [2014b]). Should we therefore take empirical support for the Bayesian model as evidence of the multimodality of perception? Focusing on evidence of integration across vision and touch, I argue that apparent support for the model does not warrant the rejection of the view that each of our conscious perceptual experiences is associated with one and only one sense modality.