Short-term experience increases infants’ sensitivity to audiovisual asynchrony

The present study explored the effects of short-term experience with audiovisual asynchronous stimuli in 6-month-old infants. Results revealed that, in contrast with adults (usually showing temporal recalibration under similar circumstances), a brief exposure to asynchrony increased infants’ perceptual sensitivity to audiovisual synchrony.

► The detection of audiovisual synchrony is a domain-general process.
► Experience with audiovisual asynchrony has different perceptual consequences for adults and infants.
► A short-term exposure to an asynchronous audiovisual stimuli increases 6-month-old infants’ ability to discriminate asynchronous events.