Figure 1.

a, The vision speed profiles. The binocularly rivaling visual images consisted of a constantly rotating radial pattern and a looming concentric circle pattern. We deliberately designed the rotation rate (0.6 Hz) to be different from the looming rate (1 Hz) so that their changes over time did not match. b, The sound amplitude profiles. The two sounds that competed for attention consisted of a stationary tone triad (E chord) and a 1 Hz looming sound coming from opposite lateral locations (20 and −20° relative to straight ahead). Auditory and visual looming were rate matched and in phase (dashed vertical line). c, To examine whether it is either looming as such, or its rate, that caused the multimodal attentional control effects of the looming sound, we presented the looming sound with 0.8 Hz. d, To examine the role of sound rate, we presented tone pips with the same frequency (1 Hz) and phase as the looming visual pattern. Ramp and damp times were equal.