Abstract: Sound-induced Flash Illusion (SiFI) is an auditory-dominated multisensory integration phenomenon that occurs when flashes presented in conjunction with an incongruent number of auditory sounds results in the flashes being perceived as equal in number to the auditory sounds. Here we summarize several factors that could impact on SiFI: (1) Bottom-up variance factors comprising physical properties (i.e., spatial characteristics of stimuli, differences in stimulus intensity, and time interval between audiovisual stimuli), top-down variance factors comprisingcognitive processes (i.e., attention, feedback patterns, and cognitive expectations), and between-subjects variance factors, such as the dependence for audiovisual stimuli, the ability to integrate audiovisual stimuli, and perceptual sensitivity to audiovisual stimuli; (2) Cognitive processing stages and neural mechanisms of SiFI (i.e., related brain regions). Future studies should focus on the effects of cognitive processes such as attention, reward, audiovisual integration on SiFI. The effects of SiFI on memory and learning should also be explored in future research. In addition, future studies combining computational models and neuroscience should further explore the cognitive and neural mechanisms of SiFI.

Key words: sound induced flash illusion (SiFI), fission illusion, fusion illusion, multisensory integration