Object-based attention in complex, naturalistic auditory streams
Abstract
In vision, objects have been described as the `units' on which non-spatial attention operates in many natural settings. Here, we test the idea of object-based attention in the auditory domain within ecologically valid auditory scenes, composed of two spatially and temporally overlapping sound streams (speech signal vs. environmental soundscapes in Experiment 1 and two speech signals in Experiment 2). Top-down attention was directed to one or the other auditory stream by a non-spatial cue. To test for high-level, object-based attention effects we introduce an auditory repetition detection task in which participants have to detect brief repetitions of auditory objects, ruling out any possible confounds with spatial or feature-based attention. The participants' responses were significantly faster and more accurate in the valid cue condition compared to the invalid cue condition, indicating a robust cue-validity effect of high-level, object-based auditory attention.
- Publication:
-
Scientific Reports
- Pub Date:
- February 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1038/s41598-019-39166-6
- Bibcode:
- 2019NatSR...9.2854M