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Temporal aspects of stimulus-driven attending in dynamic arrays
Mari Riess Jones1, Heather Moynihan, Noah MacKenzie
1Psychology Department, The Ohio State University, USA. jones.80@osu.edu
Psychological Science
|July 26, 2002
Summary
Temporal expectancies in auditory sequences influence pitch judgment accuracy. Listeners are more accurate when tones are rhythmically expected, demonstrating the impact of stimulus rhythm on attention.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Auditory Perception
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Auditory attending involves temporal expectancies.
- Stimulus rhythm can influence attention and perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how sequence timing affects pitch judgments.
- To examine the role of temporal expectancies and rhythm in auditory attention.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments using auditory sequences of tones.
- Comparative pitch judgments of standard and comparison tones.
- Manipulation of interpolated tone timing relative to a rhythm.
Main Results:
- Pitch judgment accuracy was highest for rhythmically expected tones.
- Accuracy decreased for unexpected tones.
- The rhythm effect disappeared with irregular or missing interpolated tones.
Conclusions:
- Rhythmic structure in auditory sequences enhances temporal expectancies.
- These expectancies improve pitch judgment accuracy.
- Auditory attention is significantly modulated by predictable stimulus timing.