Dotted-underlined terms have brief explanations on hover, tap or keyboard focus.
In a nutshell
A video shows a mouth movement different from what the soundtrack suggests. Some people then hear a third sound; others retain the sound actually played.
Why does it happen?
Speech perception combines acoustic signals with visible articulation movements. When the two conflict, their combined evaluation can lead to a different sound category. The effect depends strongly on the person, video, and response options, and is not a general hearing test.
How common – and for whom?
Varies by individual
Susceptibility to the McGurk effect differs greatly between people and speech stimuli used. A general rate independent of the experiment would be misleading.
Frequency is a qualitative description, not your individual probability.
Is it normal?
Normal audiovisual integration.
Voluntary control
Closing the eyes changes the visual contribution; the fusion is not freely chosen.
Does this happen to you?
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How others answer
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Voluntary responses, not representative. One answer per saved browser key and article is counted. Multiple submissions are possible; people are not verified.
Sources (1)
- Variability and stability in the McGurk effect: contributions of participants, stimuli, time, and response type (opens a new tab)
Audiovisual sound fusion varies greatly across people, stimuli, and response formats.
Editorial update: . AI-assisted research and editing; not individually reviewed by a physician. How we research
