Professor David Alais
Current & Previous Appointments
A major research interest is cross-modal perception, mostly audio-visual. How does the brain combine sensory information from audition and vision? The primary approach is through human psychophysical experiments which measure aspects of an observer?s perception of sounds, images or combinations of both. Our research may focus on spatial aspects (e.g., localisation of events) or on temporal aspects (e.g, timing and order judgments). From these measurements, inferences are drawn as to how the brain processes audiovisual sensory information to give rise to multimodal perception. More recently, my group has expanded into tactile processing, studying temporal interactions between touch and vision and between touch and sound.
The lab also conducts research into unisensory perception, either auditory or visual. Auditory research is done in close collaboration with Assoc. Professor Carlile?s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory in the School of Medical Sciences, allowing access to sophisticated auditory stimuli and signal processing, and to a large anechoic chamber allowing auditory work to be done in the 'free field'. Alternatively, we use the Carlile lab's sophisticated virtual auditory space (VAS) technology to explore auditory perception with virtual sound.
Other research in the lab focuses purely on visual processes. A major interest addresses how the brain resolves visual conflict between the eyes, as when the eyes receive different images. Interocular conflict gives rise to 'binocular rivalry' in which the brain's conscious state alternates between perceiving the image in one eye and perceiving the image in the other eye. An overview of the state of this burgeoning field can be found in a recent book by David Alais and Randolph Blake: "Binocular Rivalry", MIT Press (2005).
Further work in visual perception explores how motion and temporal modulation is encoded by the visual system. We are currently developing new ideas on how 'temporal filters' function in human vision to encode the temporal dimension of visual input. This work is now being extended to an analysis of temporal filtering in natural image sequences (i.e., movies), while other work is looking at the possible role of streak signals left by fast moving images in enhancing motion direction perception.
Project title | Research student |
---|---|
Physical exercise as a tool of perceptual investigation | Eleonora CHELLI |
Perception During Movement and its Interactions | Cameron PHAN |
Tactile Perception of Surface Spatial Features: Visual and Temporal Influence on Tactile Orientation and Spatial Frequency Perception | Guandong WANG |
Publications
Book Chapters
- Alais, D., Best, V., Niall, P., Semmler, C., Woolford, D. (2010). Hearing and the perception of sound. In Ian Freckleton and Hugh Selby (Eds.), Expert Evidence, (pp. 145-1-145-13058). Australia: Thomson Reuters.
- Alais, D. (2005). Attentional Modulation of Motion Adaptation. In Clifford, C; Rhodes, G (Eds) (Eds.), Fitting the mind to the world: Adaptation and after-effects in high-level vision., (pp. 309-337). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [More Information]
- Freeman, A., Nguyen, V., Alais, D. (2005). The nature and depth of binocular rivalry suppression. In David Alais and Randolph Blake (Eds.), Binocular Rivalry, (pp. 47-62). Cambridge Massachusetts: MIT Press.
Journals
- Alais, D., Burr, D., Carlson, T. (2024). Positive serial dependence in ratings of food images for appeal and calories. Current Biology, 34(21), 5090-5096.e1. [More Information]
- Szekely, B., Keys, R., MacNeilage, P., Alais, D. (2024). Short communication: Binocular rivalry dynamics during locomotion. PloS One, 19(2024-04-04 00:00:00). [More Information]
- Wang, G., Alais, D. (2024). Tactile adaptation to orientation produces a robust tilt aftereffect and exhibits crossmodal transfer when tested in vision. Scientific Reports, 14(1). [More Information]
Edited Journals
- Wuerger, S., Alais, D., Gondan, M. (2011). Multisensorial perception collection. Seeing and Perceiving: an international journal on computation, perception, attention and action (Spatial Vision), 24.
Conferences
- Van der Burg, E., Cass, J., Alais, D., Theeuwes, J. (2011). The temporal window of multisensory integration under competing circumstances. 12th International Multisensory Research Forum, Fukuoka, Japan.
2024
- Alais, D., Burr, D., Carlson, T. (2024). Positive serial dependence in ratings of food images for appeal and calories. Current Biology, 34(21), 5090-5096.e1. [More Information]
- Szekely, B., Keys, R., MacNeilage, P., Alais, D. (2024). Short communication: Binocular rivalry dynamics during locomotion. PloS One, 19(2024-04-04 00:00:00). [More Information]
- Wang, G., Alais, D. (2024). Tactile adaptation to orientation produces a robust tilt aftereffect and exhibits crossmodal transfer when tested in vision. Scientific Reports, 14(1). [More Information]
2023
- Davidson, M., Keys, R., Szekely, B., MacNeilage, P., Verstraten, F., Alais, D. (2023). Continuous peripersonal tracking accuracy is limited by the speed and phase of locomotion. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 14864. [More Information]
- Chen, Y., Cabrera, D., Alais, D. (2023). Modelling audiovisual seat preference in virtual concert halls. Applied Acoustics, 212(109589), 1-10. [More Information]
- Boenke, L., Zeghbib, A., Spiliopoulou, M., Alais, D., Ohl, F. (2023). Prestimulus α/β power in temporal-order judgments: individuals differ in direction of modulation but show consistency over auditory and visual tasks. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, 17. [More Information]
2022
- Wang, G., Alais, D., Blake, R., Han, S. (2022). CFS-crafter: An open-source tool for creating and analyzing images for continuous flash suppression experiments. Behavior Research Methods. [More Information]
- Liaw, G., Kim, S., Alais, D. (2022). Direction-selective modulation of visual motion rivalry by collocated tactile motion. Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics, 84(3), 899-914. [More Information]
- Ho, H., Burr, D., Alais, D., Morrone, M. (2022). Propagation and update of auditory perceptual priors through alpha and theta rhythms. European Journal of Neuroscience, 55(2023-12-11 00:00:00), 3083-3099. [More Information]
2021
- Alais, D., Xu, Y., Wardle, S., Taubert, J. (2021). A shared mechanism for facial expression in human faces and face pareidolia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 288(1954), 20210966. [More Information]
- Han, S., Alais, D., Palmer, C. (2021). Dynamic face mask enhances continuous flash suppression. Cognition, 206, 1-12. [More Information]
- Kim, S., Alais, D. (2021). Individual differences in serial dependence manifest when sensory uncertainty is high. Vision Research, 188, 274-282. [More Information]
2020
- Motala, A., Zhang, H., Alais, D. (2020). Auditory Rate Perception Displays a Positive Serial Dependence. i-Perception, 11(6), 1-17. [More Information]
- Han, S., Alais, D., MacDougall, H., Verstraten, F. (2020). Brief localised monocular deprivation in adults alters binocular rivalry predominance retinotopically and reduces spatial inhibition. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 18739. [More Information]
- Nguyen, D., Brown, J., Alais, D. (2020). Cost of Dual-Task Performance in Tactile Perception Is Greater for Competing Tasks of the Same Type. Perception, 49(5), 515-538. [More Information]
2019
- Kim, S., Burr, D., Alais, D. (2019). Attraction to the recent past in aesthetic judgments: A positive serial dependence for rating artwork. Journal of Vision, 19(12), 1-17. [More Information]
- Ho, H., Burr, D., Alais, D., Morrone, M. (2019). Auditory Perceptual History Is Propagated through Alpha Oscillations. Current Biology, 29(24), 4208-4217. [More Information]
- Zhang, H., Morrone, M., Alais, D. (2019). Behavioural oscillations in visual orientation discrimination reveal distinct modulation rates for both sensitivity and response bias. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 1-11. [More Information]
2018
- Han, S., Alais, D., Blake, R. (2018). Battle of the Mondrians: Investigating the Role of Unpredictability in Continuous Flash Suppression. i-Perception, 9(4), 1-21. [More Information]
- Han, S., Blake, R., Alais, D. (2018). Corrigendum to "Slow and steady, not fast and furious: Slow temporal modulation strengthens continuous flash suppression" [Conscious Cogn. 58 (2018) 10-19]. Consciousness and Cognition, 59, 112. [More Information]
- Alais, D., Kong, G., Palmer, C., Clifford, C. (2018). Eye gaze direction shows a positive serial dependency. Journal of Vision, 18(4), 1-12. [More Information]
2017
- Alais, D., Ho, H., Han, S., van der Burg, E. (2017). A Matched Comparison Across Three Different Sensory Pairs of Cross-Modal Temporal Recalibration From Sustained and Transient Adaptation. i-Perception, 8(4), 2041669517718697. [More Information]
- Apthorp, D., Griffiths, S., Alais, D., Cass, J. (2017). Adaptation-Induced Blindness Is Orientation-Tuned and Monocular. i-Perception, 8(2), 1-15. [More Information]
- Noel, J., De Niear, M., Stevenson, R., Alais, D., Wallace, M. (2017). Atypical Rapid Audio-Visual Temporal Recalibration in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism Research, 10(1), 121-129. [More Information]
2016
- Kong, G., Alais, D., van der Burg, E. (2016). An Investigation of Linear Separability in Visual Search for Color Suggests a Role of Recognizability. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 42(11), 1724-1738. [More Information]
- Kong, G., Alais, D., van der Burg, E. (2016). Competing Distractors Facilitate Visual Search in Heterogeneous Displays. PloS One, 11(8), 1-25. [More Information]
- Orchard-Mills, E., van der Burg, E., Alais, D. (2016). Crossmodal Correspondence Between Auditory Pitch and Visual Elevation Affects Temporal Ventriloquism. Perception, 45(4), 409-424. [More Information]
2015
- van der Burg, E., Alais, D., Cass, J. (2015). Audiovisual temporal recalibration occurs independently at two different time scales. Scientific Reports, 5, 1-7. [More Information]
- Alais, D., Orchard-Mills, E., van der Burg, E. (2015). Auditory frequency perception adapts rapidly to the immediate past. Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics, 77(3), 896-906. [More Information]
- Lunghi, C., Alais, D. (2015). Congruent tactile stimulation reduces the strength of visual suppression during binocular rivalry. Scientific Reports, 5, 1-9. [More Information]
2014
- Lunghi, C., Morrone, M., Alais, D. (2014). Auditory and tactile signals combine to influence vision during binocular rivalry. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(3), 784-792. [More Information]
- Freeman, T., Leung, J., Wufong, E., Orchard-Mills, E., Carlile, S., Alais, D. (2014). Discrimination Contours for Moving Sounds Reveal Duration and Distance Cues Dominate Auditory Speed Perception. PloS One, 9(7), 1-10. [More Information]
- Alais, D., Keetels, M., Freeman, A. (2014). Measuring perception without introspection. Journal of Vision, 14(11), 1-8. [More Information]
2013
- Orchard-Mills, E., Leung, J., Burr, D., Morrone, M., Wufong, E., Carlile, S., Alais, D. (2013). A Mechanism for detecting coincidence of auditory and visual spatial signals. Multisensory Research, 26(4), 333-345. [More Information]
- Orchard-Mills, E., van der Burg, E., Alais, D. (2013). Amplitude-modulated auditory stimuli influence selection of visual spatial frequencies. Journal of Vision, 13(3), 1-17. [More Information]
- Orchard-Mills, E., Alais, D., van der Burg, E. (2013). Cross-modal associations between vision, touch, and audition influence visual search through top-down attention, not bottom-up capture. Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics, 75(8), 1892-1905. [More Information]
2012
- Allen, K., Alais, D., Carlile, S. (2012). A collection of pseudo-words to study multi-talker speech intelligibility without shifts of spatial attention. Frontiers in Psychology, 3(MAR), 1-3. [More Information]
- Alais, D., Parker, A. (2012). Binocular rivalry produced by temporal frequency differences. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6(227), 1-16. [More Information]
- Alais, D. (2012). Binocular rivalry: Competition and inhibition in visual perception. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science, 3(1), 87-103. [More Information]
2011
- Paffen, C., Alais, D. (2011). Attentional modulation of binocular rivalry. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 5, 105-1-105-10. [More Information]
- Cass, J., Van der Burg, E., Alais, D. (2011). Finding flicker: Critical differences in temporal frequency capture attention. Frontiers in Psychology, 2(NOV), 1-7. [More Information]
- Taubert, J., Alais, D. (2011). Identity aftereffects, but not composite effects, are contingent on contrast polarity. Perception, 40(4), 422-436. [More Information]
2010
- Dakin, S., Apthorp, D., Alais, D. (2010). Anisotropies in judging the direction of moving natural scenes. Journal of Vision, 10(11), 1-19. [More Information]
- Alais, D., van Boxtel, J., Parker, A., van Ee, R. (2010). Attending to auditory signals slows visual alternations in binocular rivalry. Vision Research, 50(10), 929-935. [More Information]
- Wardle, S., Cass, J., Brooks, K., Alais, D. (2010). Breaking camouflage: Binocular disparity reduces contrast masking in natural images. Journal of Vision, 10(14), 1-12. [More Information]
2009
- Bentvelzen, A., Leung, J., Alais, D. (2009). Discriminating audiovisual speed: optimal integration of speed defaults to probability summation when component reliabilities diverge. Perception, 38(7), 966-987. [More Information]
- O'Shea, R., Parker, A., La Rooy, D., Alais, D. (2009). Monocular rivalry exhibits three hallmarks of binocular rivalry: Evidence for common processes. Vision Research, 49(7), 671-681. [More Information]
- Apthorp, D., Wenderoth, P., Alais, D. (2009). Motion streaks in fast motion rivalry cause orientation-selective suppression. Journal of Vision, 9(5), 10-1-10-14. [More Information]
2008
- Leung, J., Alais, D., Carlile, S. (2008). Compression of auditory space during rapid head turns. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105(17), 6492-6497. [More Information]
- Allen, K., Carlile, S., Alais, D. (2008). Contributions of talker characteristics and spatial location to auditory streaming. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 123(3), 1562-1570. [More Information]
- Cooper, J., Carlile, S., Alais, D. (2008). Distortions of auditory space during rapid head turns. Experimental Brain Research, 191(2), 209-219. [More Information]
2007
- Parker, A., Alais, D. (2007). A bias for looming stimuli to predominate in binocular rivalry. Vision Research, 47, 2661-2674. [More Information]
- Alais, D., Melcher, D. (2007). Strength and coherence of binocular rivalry depends on shared stimulus complexity. Vision Research, 47(2), 269-279. [More Information]
2006
- Paffen, C., Alais, D., Verstraten, F. (2006). Attention speeds binocular rivalry. Psychological Science, 17(9), 752-756. [More Information]
- Burr, D., Alais, D. (2006). Chapter 14 Combining visual and auditory information. Progress in Brain Research, 155(Part B), 243-258. [More Information]
- Alais, D., Lorenceau, J., Arrighi, R., Cass, J. (2006). Contour interactions between pairs of Gabors engaged in binocular rivalry reveal a map of the association field. Vision Research, 46(8-9), 1473-1487. [More Information]
2005
- Alais, D. (2005). Attentional Modulation of Motion Adaptation. In Clifford, C; Rhodes, G (Eds) (Eds.), Fitting the mind to the world: Adaptation and after-effects in high-level vision., (pp. 309-337). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [More Information]
- Paffen, C., Alais, D., Verstraten, F. (2005). Center-surround inhibition deepens binocular rivalry suppression. Vision Research, 45(20), 2642-2649. [More Information]
- Li, D., Freeman, A., Alais, D. (2005). Contrast sensitivity of form and motion discrimination during binocular rivalry. Vision Research, 45(10), 1255-1263. [More Information]
2004
- Alais, D., Burr, D. (2004). No direction-specific bimodal facilitation for audiovisual motion detection. Cognitive Brain Research, 19(2), 185-194. [More Information]
- Carter, O., Pettigrew, J., Burr, D., Alais, D., Hasler, F., Vollenweider, F. (2004). Psilocybin impairs high-level but not low-level motion perception. NeuroReport, 15(12), 1947-1951. [More Information]
- Alais, D., Burr, D. (2004). The Ventriloquist Effect Results from Near-Optimal Bimodal Integration. Current Biology.
2003
- Nguyen, V., Freeman, A., Alais, D. (2003). Increasing depth of binocular rivalry suppression along two visual pathways. Vision Research, 43, 2003-2008. [More Information]
- Alais, D., Burr, D. (2003). The "flash-lag" effect occurs in audition and cross-modally. Current Biology, 13(1), 59-63. [More Information]
2002
- Alais, D., Lorenceau, J. (2002). Perceptual grouping in the Ternus display: evidence for an ‘association field' in apparent motion. Vision Research, 42(8), 1005-1016.
2001
- Lorenceau, J., Alais, D. (2001). Form constraints in motion binding. Nature Neuroscience, 4(7), 745-751. [More Information]
Selected Grants
2024
- Seeing the world step by step: Perceptual sensitivity rises and falls in time with the gait cycle, Alais D, School of Psychology/Core Funding Grant
2023
- Flexibility to multisensory contestual information in people with sensory disabilities, Alais D, European Commission (Belgium)/Global Fellowships