======The McGurk Effect======


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**Alternative titles:** Do You Hear What You See?
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Record a person repeating a simple word, such as “pie,” ensuring both audio and video are clear.  
  - Make a second recording of the same person saying a slightly different word, such as “bye” or “guy.”  
  - Create a video that plays the audio from the first recording while showing the video from the second recording.  
  - Ask volunteers to watch the video and report what word they “hear.”  
  - Repeat the test with volunteers closing their eyes while listening to the same audio.  
  - Compare results to see how strongly the visual cues affected perception.



====Links==== 
McGurk Effect (with explanation) - brainrulesbook: 
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📄 Putting the McGurk Effect to the Test - Science Buddies: [[https://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/putting-the-mcgurk-effect-to-the-test]]\\


====Variations====
  * Try using different word pairs (e.g., “ba” vs. “fa”).  
  * Test with larger or smaller groups of volunteers to compare consistency.  
  * Examine whether age or prior knowledge of the McGurk effect changes results.  
  * Use video editing software to slightly misalign the audio and video timing.



====Safety Precautions====
  * No physical risks are involved.  
  * Remind participants that this is a harmless perceptual illusion.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does the brain sometimes prioritize visual information over auditory information? (Vision often provides more precise cues for speech in noisy environments.)  
  * What happens when participants close their eyes? (They usually report hearing the actual audio word, since no conflicting visual information is present.)  
  * How might the McGurk effect relate to technologies like virtual reality or video conferencing? (It shows how mismatched audio and video can alter perception and understanding.)  
  * Do all participants experience the effect equally strongly? (No, sensitivity to the McGurk effect can vary among individuals.)