Multisensory interaction, Timing, and Immersive Art.

While developing experimental work in Rome at the Experimental and Applied Psychology Laboratory of the Università Europea di Roma, our research focused on exploring the nature and implications of cross-modal congruences. We conducted a series of behavioral studies to examine the boundaries of these correspondences between visual and auditory parameters. Our findings contributed to establishing how these dimensions are relatively coupled, and how varying contextual conditions can significantly influence the way stimuli interact and affect each other. This line of research on cross-modal correspondences expanded further as we explored their impact on cognitive processing—specifically, on working memory performance, speeded categorization, and counting tasks. This direction also reconnected with some of my earlier work in the Psychology of Music and Rhythm, particularly on topics such as timing perception, dynamic attending theory, and rhythmic entrainment. In this earlier work, I focused on the effects of isochronous and non-isochronous Meters on perception and attention. In more recent years, our attention shifted toward applied research, resulting in the development of a theoretical framework known as Immersive Education—an educational approach inspired by the principles of immersive theatre. This model involves the design of participatory learning experiences for primary and secondary school students, using narrative-based engagement to foster inclusive group dynamics, support both curricular and transversal competencies, and stimulate intrinsic motivation. Immersive Education aims to bridge cognitive science, performative arts, and pedagogy in innovative and impactful ways.