Abstract
Multisensory integration affects attention in many ways. However, it is unclear whether multisensory integration has the same effect on the three attention networks: alerting, orienting and executive control network (EC). This study aims to evaluate the effect of multisensory integration on three networks efficiency of attention. We manipulated the Flanker targets accompanied with/without the auditory stimuli in the ANT (Attention Network Test) paradigm. And used 4 (cue: no cue, center cue, double cue, spatial cue) × 3 (Flanker type: neutral, congruent, incongruent) × 2 (target modality type: visual and audiovisual) three within subject factors. In Experiment 1, present a meaningless pure tone stimulus on the left and right sides while the target stimulus appeared. The results showed that the processing efficiency of the alerting and orienting networks was lower when the target stimulus was accompanied by sound than when the target stimulus was not accompanied by sound, but there was no significant difference in the processing efficiency of the executive control networks. Experiment 2 was a pure sound that presented on the left or right (the sound appears in the same direction as the middle arrow). The results found that when the target stimulus was accompanied by sound, the effects executive control network was lower, and there are no significant difference in the effects alerting and orienting network. Results from the two experiments suggested that multisensory integration had different effects on three attention networks, this might be related to the spatial location of auditory stimuli. The interaction between multisensory integration and attention networks was discussed.