Perceived Asynchrony of Rhythmic Stimuli Affects Pupil Diameter and Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements

In networked applications, latency can disrupt the sense of synchrony by causing offsets e.g. between local speech and remote visual response. We investigate the influence of frequency and Stimulus Onset Asynchrony (SOA) on synchrony perception during rhythmic audiovisual experiences. Our results show that the Point of Subjective Synchrony (PSS) is influenced by frequency, whereas the Window of Subjective Synchrony (WSS) is not. Variations in SOA induce adaptive gaze behavior in response to audiovisual latencies, while pupil diameter increases with increasing SOA, suggesting a higher cognitive load for successive unisensory rather than integrated events. This has practical implications for the design of computer-mediated applications that promote a sense of community through rhythmic interaction. Eye tracking data may indicate perceived (a)synchrony in audiovisual integration. In addition, the choice of frequencies may help to mask latencies, enhance the experience of synchrony and thus support feelings of closeness and intimacy in virtual interaction.