聽覺訊息對撞擊事件因果知覺的影響

The Effect of Auditory Information on Causal Perception of Mechanical Collision

本研究的目的是探討聲效對撞擊事件因果知覺的影響。受試者觀看電腦控制的撞擊事件後，在一個7點量表上反應他對該事件的因果印象。撞擊事件是呈現在電腦螢幕上的一個移動的球去撞擊一個靜止的球，之後原先移動的球停止移動，而原先靜止的球則開始移動。聲效是在雙球一停一走的霎時，電腦控制的音效發出一個90毫秒的撞擊聲。實驗結果顯示撞擊聲效對因果知覺的影響是片面的，如果被撞擊的球因啟動時間延宕而造成因果知覺的減弱，聲效沒有增強因果知覺的效果；但若撞與被撞兩球因空間上有間距而造成因果知覺減弱，那麼聲效有明顯提昇因果知覺的助益。這個結果可由本論文所提出的因果知覺須經過四個成份的組合而解釋之。

An auditory recording of mechanical collision was presented synchronously with visual simulation of collision of objects on a microcomputer. Adult subjects were asked to rate causality on a 7 -point scale after viewing the event on the computer. In a typical launching paradigm, auditory information did not affect causal perception when temporal delay of launching was manipulated. However, when spatial gap was manipulated, auditory information enhanced causal perception at gap values that would normally destroy the impression of causality. The result was explained by the proposal that causal perception of phenomenal collision depends on the perception of four components: (1) an (first) object with nonzero momentum, (2) transmission of this momentum to another (second) object, (3) the second object undergoes force related change, and (4) the force must be perceived to originate from the momentum transfer. Spatial gap manipulation is related to the perception of component (2) while temporal gap manipulation relates to component (4). The differential effect of auditory information on causal perception is the result of the functional independence of component (2) and (4), as well as the fact that the sound of collision signals contact between objects and contact influences perception of component (2) but not component (4).