Introduction

If odor and taste are presented in a context with high temporal proximity, they are more likely to be perceived as a flavor object. However, if odor and taste are presented in a context with low temporal proximity as well as a context with high temporal proximity, they may be less likely to be perceived as a flavor object. Based on these expectations, we hypothesized that sensitivity to temporal difference between two sensations (i.e., temporal resolution of synchrony perception) is higher when odor and taste are presented under a condition including a context with low temporal proximity than under a condition excluding it.

Methods

To test this hypothesis, we required participants to determine whether olfactory and gustatory stimuli were presented simultaneously under a condition including a context with low temporal proximity (wide-range condition) and under a condition excluding it. In addition, we also tested visual–gustatory and olfactory–visual combinations.

Results

The temporal resolution was significantly higher under the wide-range condition than under the narrow-range condition, supporting our hypothesis.

Conclusion

For odor and taste to be perceived as flavor, people not only must experience high temporal proximity of the two sensations but also must not experience low temporal proximity of the two sensations.

Implication

The findings of this study suggest that the higher the sensitivity to a temporal difference between odor and taste, the lower the robustness of a flavor object (i.e., the strength of the odor–taste connection).

中文翻译：

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嗅觉—视觉，视觉—视觉和嗅觉—视觉同步知觉的时间分辨率对语境的影响

介绍

如果气味和味道在时间上高度接近的环境中呈现，则它们更有可能被视为风味对象。但是，如果气味和味道在时间上接近度较低的环境中以及在时间上接近度较高的环境中呈现，则它们不太可能被视为风味对象。基于这些期望，我们假设当在包括低时间亲近性的环境中呈现气味和味道时，对两种感觉之间的时间差异（即同步知觉的时间分辨率）的敏感性要比在排除其的条件下更高。

方法

为了检验该假设，我们要求参与者确定在包括低时间邻近性的环境（宽范围条件）和排除它的条件下是否同时呈现嗅觉和味觉刺激。此外，我们还测试了视觉-味觉和嗅觉-视觉组合。

结果

在宽范围条件下，时间分辨率明显高于在窄范围条件下，这支持了我们的假设。

结论

为了使气味和味道被感知为味道，人们不仅必须体验两种感觉的高时间接近度，而且必须不能体验两种感觉的低时间接近度。

意义

这项研究的结果表明，对气味和味道之间的时间差异的敏感性越高，风味物体的坚固性越低（即气味与味道之间的联系强度）。