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On April 3, 2026, the UCF Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology Program hosted the inaugural Richard Gilson Innovation in Multimodal Information Processing (MIP) Distinguished Lecture Series, a donor-sponsored event named in honor of UCF Professor Emeritus Richard Gilson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The series highlights innovations in technologies and research that explore how the brain integrates information across multiple senses and how these insights inform fields such as artificial intelligence and design to improve the interpretation of complex information. It also connects psychological insight with technological advancement, underscoring that meaningful innovation depends on understanding human behavior and cognition to develop technologies that are impactful, ethical and beneficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inaugural lecture featured Professor Charles Spence, a world-renowned experimental psychologist from the University of Oxford, who presented Connecting the Senses Across Time and Space: Crossmodal Correspondences in Science, Art, and Design<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Legacy of Research and Mentorship <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n UCF College of Sciences Interim Associate Dean of Research and Facilities Nichole Lighthall opened the program introducing Professor Emeritus John \u201cJack\u201d McGuire, who shared remarks on Gilson\u2019s legacy of research and influence at UCF. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDr. Gilson\u2019s research spanned a wide range of cross-disciplinary scientific and engineering fields, including information processing, simulation and training, and alert and warning systems, with applications in aviation, military, and healthcare domains,\u201d McGuire says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n McGuire also shared that, as a true academic and Renaissance man, Gilson made significant contributions, but his most notable impact was on students at UCF. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs the founder of the Ph.D. program Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology, he laid the foundation for decades of doctoral graduates who have made their mark in industry, government and academia,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Unexpected Path to Multisensory Research<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spence opened his lecture by tracing the origins of his work, sharing how an unexpected undergraduate experience set him on a path toward studying multisensory perception. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “My lifelong fascination with this field of research began after I encountered a DJ with a broken television whose mismatched sound and visuals revealed the brain\u2019s remarkable ability to fuse conflicting sensory cues,\u201d he says. \u201cThis experience sparked my interest in applied science and ultimately led me to explore how the brain integrates information across the senses to guide real-world behavior.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spence noted that as technology evolved\u2014from radio and television to smartphones and touchscreens\u2014it has increasingly engaged more of our senses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor the past 15 years, we\u2019ve been adding senses,\u201d he says. \u201cFor the first few years, it was just hearing and vision. Then, in 2000, we added touch and as the years go by, we\u2019re creating a multisensory picture.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Building on that progression, Spence says his work now focuses on understanding what connects the senses and how that alignment can be used to design more intuitive and immersive experiences, interfaces, and forms of entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crossmodal Correspondences<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n As the lecture shifted, Spence challenged long-standing efforts to link the senses in predictable ways. He explained that for centuries, artists, scientists, and musicians have tried to translate color into sound or sound to color. Yet those attempts rarely agree.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cThe fact that they disagree means we\u2019re still none the wiser about how to try and translate one sense into another,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, he introduced the concept of crossmodal correspondences, which are shared, intuitive associations people make across the senses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey’re the common tendency we all have to match features or attributes in one sense with those in another,\u201d Spence says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike personal or subjective associations, which vary from person to person, these correspondences are consistent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAudiences, for example, tend to associate sweetness with softer, higher-pitched sounds and bitterness with sharper, more angular ones,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To demonstrate this, Spence played a series of audio clips, asking guests to match each with different taste profiles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He then pointed to real-world applications, sharing how restaurants and companies are using these principles to shape how people experience food and drinks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy finding the corresponding notes and timbres to tastes and flavors, we can dial them up without using words,\u201d Spence says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He cited a study to illustrate how context can shape perception. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “At an experiential event, approximately 3,000 attendees were asked to rate their wine as the room\u2019s colors and sounds changed,\u201d Spence says. \u201cMany reported that the flavor seemed to change, with some saying that the sensory environment \u2018totally changed\u2019 their taste perceptions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Future of Multisensory Design<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spence concluded his lecture by pointing to a future where these insights increasingly shape design across industries, from dining and entertainment to technology and health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the healthcare sector, this research could help address a key challenge for cancer patients: reduced appetite and food aversion during chemotherapy,\u201d he says. \u201cThese side effects can hinder proper nutrition and slow recovery. By restoring appetite and improving the enjoyment of food, this work highlights how advances in multimodal information processing can enhance patient care and outcomes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n More broadly, Spence adds that rather than treating the senses as separate channels, designers can create more intuitive and immersive experiences by understanding how they work together, ultimately transforming the landscape of multisensory experience and interface design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Department of Psychology Interim Chair Mark Neider closed the event thanking Gilson and the donor for making the event possible, as well as Spence for an insightful talk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe hope you enjoyed this thought-provoking talk by Dr. Spence,\u201d he says. \u201cHis exploration of how our senses interact, and the ways these connections shape everything from research to real-world experiences, is a powerful reminder of the kind of innovation happening across our fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The UCF Department of Psychology hosted its first Richard Gilson distinguished lecture series, featuring University of Oxford professor Charles Spence, who explored how the human brain integrates sensory information and how those connections are shaping research, design and real-world experience. Written by: Ana Hidalgo and Shaloni Prine | April 21, 2026 On April 3, 2026, the UCF Human Factors and Cognitive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":260,"featured_media":35272,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[38,6,39,6532,22,28],"tags":[736,1208,1235,2783,6551,3625],"class_list":["post-35271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-events","category-faculty-news","category-philanthropy","category-psychology-departments","category-top-news","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-event","tag-faculty-news","tag-psychology","tag-richard-gilson-innovation-in-multimodal-information-processing-distinguished-lecture-series","tag-ucf-psychology-department"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2026\/04\/1-1.png\")
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