The McGurk Effect Across Languages

Abstract

The McGurk effect denotes a phenomenon of speech perception where a listener attends to mismatched audio and visual stimuli and perceives an illusory third sound, typically a conflation of the audio-visual stimulus. This multimodal interaction has been exploited in various English-language experiments. The article explores the manifestations of this effect in other languages, such as Japanese and Chinese, as well as considerations for age and keenness (hearing acuity) through a literary review of existing research. The literature confirms the McGurk effect is present in other languages, albeit to differing degrees. The differences in the McGurk effect across languages may be attributed to linguistic and cultural differences. Age differences demonstrate a greater lip-reading reliance as age increases in participants; a similar reliance on visual information is seen in participants as hearing impairment increases. Experimental designs should refine audiovisual stimuli by using immersive technology such as three-dimensional models in virtual reality or ambisonic playback that offers multi-directional sound signals. Future research should also address the influence of audiovisual integration in marketing, foreign language education, and developing better accommodations for the hearing impaired.