Multimodal Detection and Recognition Performance of Sonar Operators

Trained sonar operators participated in a detection and classification task. Stimuli were presented in three conditions: auditory and visual modalities independently and simultaneously (multimodal). The signal-to-noise ratio (SIN) was continually increased during a trial, and the elapsed time as well as the SIN level at detection and classification were recorded. The best modality for target detection was found to be target specific. However, the multimodal condition was not significantly different from the single best modality and, therefore, should be used for initial target detection in the operational setting. Differences from findings in previous studies are discussed.