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A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis of the McGurk Effect in Older and Younger Adults.

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Title: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis of the McGurk Effect in Older and Younger Adults.
Authors: Dai, Xuequn1, Ma, Wen1 mawen@sdu.edu.cn, Tian, Yinong1, Zhang, Hao1 zhang0099@sdu.edu.cn
Source: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research. Mar2026, Vol. 69 Issue 3, p981-997. 17p.
Subject Terms: *Lipreading, *Audiometry, *Speech perception, *Hearing, *Cognition, Cognition disorders diagnosis, Sensorimotor integration, Ethnology research, Meta-analysis, Systematic reviews, MEDLINE, Perceptual disorders, Psycholinguistics, Online information services, Acoustic stimulation
Abstract: Purpose: The McGurk effect is a well-established phenomenon to evaluate audiovisual integration. However, research on susceptibility to the McGurk effect in the aging population has yielded inconsistent findings. The present study examined group differences in the McGurk susceptibility between older and younger adults, as well as the factors influencing the magnitude of these differences. Method: A systematic search was conducted across four major electronic databases, focusing on empirical studies comparing susceptibility to the McGurk effect between older and younger groups. We employed a multilevel meta-analysis approach to synthesize effect sizes and identified potential moderators at both the sample level (i.e., age, hearing status, and cognitive status of older adults) and study level (i.e., auditory setting and task scoring method). Results: One study (containing two effect sizes) was excluded from the final analysis following a leave-one-out procedure. Based on the remaining 25 effect sizes from nine selected studies, a small-to-medium positive effect size (g = 0.40) was observed, indicating greater susceptibility to the McGurk effect in older adults compared to younger participants. Among the moderators tested, only the cognitive status of older adults significantly moderated the observed heterogeneity, with variations in the cognitive status of older adults leading to significant changes in the magnitude of group differences in the McGurk susceptibility. None of the other moderators significantly explained variability in effect size s. Conclusions: Our findings confirm an age-related difference in the McGurk susceptibility, with cognitive status emerging as a key moderator. However, given the limited number of studies included in this meta-analysis, the conclusion remains preliminary and should be interpreted with caution. To substantiate and expand upon these initial findings, future research should systematically investigate these moderating factors to inform targeted interventions and assistive technologies that enhance audiovisual integration and communication in the aging population. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.31268749 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis of the McGurk Effect in Older and Younger Adults.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language+%26+Hearing+Research%22">Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research</searchLink>. Mar2026, Vol. 69 Issue 3, p981-997. 17p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lipreading%22">Lipreading</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Audiometry%22">Audiometry</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+perception%22">Speech perception</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hearing%22">Hearing</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognition%22">Cognition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognition+disorders+diagnosis%22">Cognition disorders diagnosis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sensorimotor+integration%22">Sensorimotor integration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnology+research%22">Ethnology research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Meta-analysis%22">Meta-analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Systematic+reviews%22">Systematic reviews</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22MEDLINE%22">MEDLINE</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Perceptual+disorders%22">Perceptual disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psycholinguistics%22">Psycholinguistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Online+information+services%22">Online information services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Acoustic+stimulation%22">Acoustic stimulation</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: The McGurk effect is a well-established phenomenon to evaluate audiovisual integration. However, research on susceptibility to the McGurk effect in the aging population has yielded inconsistent findings. The present study examined group differences in the McGurk susceptibility between older and younger adults, as well as the factors influencing the magnitude of these differences. Method: A systematic search was conducted across four major electronic databases, focusing on empirical studies comparing susceptibility to the McGurk effect between older and younger groups. We employed a multilevel meta-analysis approach to synthesize effect sizes and identified potential moderators at both the sample level (i.e., age, hearing status, and cognitive status of older adults) and study level (i.e., auditory setting and task scoring method). Results: One study (containing two effect sizes) was excluded from the final analysis following a leave-one-out procedure. Based on the remaining 25 effect sizes from nine selected studies, a small-to-medium positive effect size (g = 0.40) was observed, indicating greater susceptibility to the McGurk effect in older adults compared to younger participants. Among the moderators tested, only the cognitive status of older adults significantly moderated the observed heterogeneity, with variations in the cognitive status of older adults leading to significant changes in the magnitude of group differences in the McGurk susceptibility. None of the other moderators significantly explained variability in effect size s. Conclusions: Our findings confirm an age-related difference in the McGurk susceptibility, with cognitive status emerging as a key moderator. However, given the limited number of studies included in this meta-analysis, the conclusion remains preliminary and should be interpreted with caution. To substantiate and expand upon these initial findings, future research should systematically investigate these moderating factors to inform targeted interventions and assistive technologies that enhance audiovisual integration and communication in the aging population. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.31268749 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=192310460
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      – SubjectFull: Lipreading
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              Text: Mar2026
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