Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systems

The human brain represents objects and events in the environment by binding together their defining semantic attributes across the senses (e.g., vision, hearing, touch). Semantic relationships between these attributes in different senses, or crossmodal semantic relationships, are fundamental to carv...

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Authors: Soto-Faraco, Salvador, 1970-, Spence, Charles
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:recercat____::a73857cc5df3bf01501cd209681fe1ad
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72942
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000483
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Crossmodal
Semantics
Short-term memory
Working memory
Episodic memory
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network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systems
title Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systems
spellingShingle Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systems
Soto-Faraco, Salvador, 1970-
Crossmodal
Semantics
Short-term memory
Working memory
Episodic memory
title_short Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systems
title_full Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systems
title_fullStr Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systems
title_full_unstemmed Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systems
title_sort Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systems
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Soto-Faraco, Salvador, 1970-
Spence, Charles
author Soto-Faraco, Salvador, 1970-
author_facet Soto-Faraco, Salvador, 1970-
Spence, Charles
author_role author
author2 Spence, Charles
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Crossmodal
Semantics
Short-term memory
Working memory
Episodic memory
topic Crossmodal
Semantics
Short-term memory
Working memory
Episodic memory
description The human brain represents objects and events in the environment by binding together their defining semantic attributes across the senses (e.g., vision, hearing, touch). Semantic relationships between these attributes in different senses, or crossmodal semantic relationships, are fundamental to carving out meaningful categories and to encode and store experiences in the form of memories for later retrieval. Unsurprisingly, the subject of crossmodal semantic interactions in human memory has been on the agenda of researchers interested in multisensory processes for several decades now and there appears to be a renewed wave of interest in the field currently. By and large, the central question has been whether or not memories for events with crossmodally congruent semantic attributes are better remembered. Nevertheless, this research area has been characterized by mixed methodological approaches, inconsistent outcomes, and alternative theoretical interpretations, with few attempts at synthesis. Here, we examine the past 30 years of research on the topic, covering short-term as well as episodic memory systems. First, we garner existing evidence in a systematic scoping review of studies, complemented by meta-analyses. Then, we provide a synthesis highlighting outstanding empirical questions and potential contradictions between competing theoretical interpretations. With some exceptions, there is abundant support for the hypothesis that crossmodally congruent events are better remembered than single-modality or crossmodal but incongruent events. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying this multisensory benefit and its theoretical interpretation are still the subject of substantial debates. We propose avenues to resolve these issues and advance current knowledge in this burgeoning research area.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2026
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72942
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000483
https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72942
url https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72942
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000483
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Psychological Bulletin. 2025 Jul;151(7):861-91
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/3PE/PID2022-137277NB-I00
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv American Psychological Association (APA)
publisher.none.fl_str_mv American Psychological Association (APA)
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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spelling Crossmodal semantics in memory: scoping review and meta-analyses of multisensory effects in short-term and episodic memory systemsSoto-Faraco, Salvador, 1970-Spence, CharlesCrossmodalSemanticsShort-term memoryWorking memoryEpisodic memoryThe human brain represents objects and events in the environment by binding together their defining semantic attributes across the senses (e.g., vision, hearing, touch). Semantic relationships between these attributes in different senses, or crossmodal semantic relationships, are fundamental to carving out meaningful categories and to encode and store experiences in the form of memories for later retrieval. Unsurprisingly, the subject of crossmodal semantic interactions in human memory has been on the agenda of researchers interested in multisensory processes for several decades now and there appears to be a renewed wave of interest in the field currently. By and large, the central question has been whether or not memories for events with crossmodally congruent semantic attributes are better remembered. Nevertheless, this research area has been characterized by mixed methodological approaches, inconsistent outcomes, and alternative theoretical interpretations, with few attempts at synthesis. Here, we examine the past 30 years of research on the topic, covering short-term as well as episodic memory systems. First, we garner existing evidence in a systematic scoping review of studies, complemented by meta-analyses. Then, we provide a synthesis highlighting outstanding empirical questions and potential contradictions between competing theoretical interpretations. With some exceptions, there is abundant support for the hypothesis that crossmodally congruent events are better remembered than single-modality or crossmodal but incongruent events. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying this multisensory benefit and its theoretical interpretation are still the subject of substantial debates. We propose avenues to resolve these issues and advance current knowledge in this burgeoning research area.Paul Verhaeghen served as action editor.The data sets and scripts used in this review are available on the Open Science Framework project at https://osf.io/35qsf, including (a) a spreadsheet with the detailed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews article selection process, from initial search output to the final article sample, and (b) the datafiles and scripts used for the meta-analyses.The preparation of the article was supported by Generalitat de Catalunya, Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca Grant AGAUR 2021 SGR 00911, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Agencia Española de Investigación (AEI) Grant PID2022-137277NB-I00 AEI/FEDER awarded to Salvador Soto-Faraco, and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Grant AH/L007053/1 awarded to Charles Spence. The authors are grateful to Miguel Vadillo for precious advice on conducting meta-analyses and feedback on an earlier version of this article.Salvador Soto-Faraco played a lead role in data curation, methodology, project administration, software, visualization, and writing-original draft and an equal role in conceptualization, funding acquisition, investigation, resources, and writing-review and editing. Charles Spence played a supporting role in visualization and an equal role in conceptualization, funding acquisition, and writing-review and editing.American Psychological Association (APA)2026202620252026info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/10230/72942http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000483https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72942reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésPsychological Bulletin. 2025 Jul;151(7):861-91info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/3PE/PID2022-137277NB-I00Open Access funding provided by Oxford University: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). This license permits copying and redistributing the work in any medium or format, as well as adapting the material for any purpose, even commercially.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:recercat____::a73857cc5df3bf01501cd209681fe1ad2026-05-29T05:05:01Z
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