These inferences are based on prior experience, assuming that the most commonly correct interpretation of a cue will continue to hold true.
[4] The ability to perceive the world in three dimensions and estimate the size and distance to an object depends heavily on depth cues.
Humans in particular have evolved a particularly keen ability to detect if motion is being generated by biological sources, even with point light displays where dots represent the joints of an animal.
[6] Recent research suggests that this mechanism can also reveal the gender, emotional state, and action of a given human light point model.
Color also serves as an inferential cue that can prime both the motor action[8] and interpretation of a persuasive message.
[9] Contrast, or the difference in luminance and/or color that helps make an object distinguishable, is important in edge detection and serves as a cue.
An auditory cue is a sound signal that represents an incoming sign received through the ears, causing the brain to hear.
The results of receiving and processing these cues are collectively known as the sense of hearing and are the subject of research within the fields of psychology, cognitive science, and neurobiology.
The auditory system of humans and animals allows individuals to assimilate information from the surroundings, represented as sound waves.
The signal then travels through fibers to several subcortical structures and on to the primary auditory receiving area in the temporal lobe.
Cue grouping refers to how humans naturally perceive incoming stimuli as organized patterns, based on certain rules.
This effect counteracts the small disparity between the perception of sound caused by the difference in distance between each ear and the source of the auditory stimuli.
Since both auditory and visual cues provide an accurate source of information about the location of an object, most times there will be minimal discrepancy between the two.
Research has demonstrated this effect by showing two objects on a screen, one moving diagonally from top-right to bottom-left and the other from top-left to bottom-right, intersecting in the middle.
Without any auditory cue, a vast majority of subjects saw the objects crossing paths and continuing in their original trajectory.
[18] The results of receiving and processing these cues are collectively known as the sense of touch, and are the subject of research in the fields of psychology, cognitive science, and neurobiology.
[19] The somatosensory system assimilates many kinds of information from the environment: temperature, texture, pressure, proprioception, and pain.
[20] Subjects were placed in a chair fitted with a back which provided haptic cues indicating where the stimulus would appear on a screen.
For example, an electronic pen can be drawn across a tablet mapped to the screen and produce different vibrations and sounds depending on what is at that location.
Olfactory cues are extremely important for sexual reproduction, as they trigger mating behavior in many species, as well as maternal bonding and survival techniques such as detecting spoiled food.
Mammalian olfactory cues play an important role in the coordination of the mother infant bond, and the following normal development of the offspring.
This is demonstrated by research that suggests that newborns respond positively to the smell of their own amniotic fluid, meaning that fetuses learn from these cues in the womb.
Environmental cues serve as the primary context that shapes how the world is perceived and as such they can prime prior experience to influence memory recall[23] and decision making.
If the experimental environment is too artificial, it can damage external validity in an ideal observer experiment that makes use of natural scene statistics.
Research has shown that auditory cues associated with walking, such as the sound of footsteps in gravel, can improve conditions regarding disturbances in gait in people with Parkinson's disease.
Specifically, the two aspects of cue-continuity (pace) and action-relevance (sounds commonly associated with walking) together can help reduce gait variability.
Research has indicated that sensory cues are beneficial in helping people with Parkinson's disease complete their ADLs (activities of daily living).