Define "cross-modal perception."

Cross-modal perception refers to the brain's ability to integrate information from different sensory modalities, such as sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. This process allows individuals to create a more coherent understanding of their environment by combining sensory input that may come from diverse sources. For instance, when you hear music while watching a live performance, your experience is enriched as your brain merges the auditory information (music) with the visual information (the performance itself). This integration facilitates a more holistic experience and helps enhance interpretation and response to stimuli.

The other concepts presented in the choices describe different aspects of sensory processing but do not capture the essence of cross-modal perception. The ability to perceive sound and light simultaneously, for example, focuses solely on simultaneous reception rather than integration. Differentiating sensory responses emphasizes the distinction between sensory inputs, while sequential processing pertains to the order in which sensory information is processed, neither of which encompass the integration aspect central to cross-modal perception.