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Published on: October 29, 2018
Compression of auditory space during rapid head turns
Johahn Leung1, David Alais, Simon Carlile
1Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Bosch Institute, School of Medical Science, and School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia. jleung@mail.usyd.edu.au
Summary
Auditory spatial perception compresses during rapid head turns, similar to visual space compression during eye movements. This distortion, up to 50%, occurs during the perisaccadic interval and depends on the response measure used.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Auditory Perception
- Spatial Cognition
Background:
- Visual saccades are known to compress visual space perception.
- The perisaccadic interval is a critical period for spatial processing.
- Investigating auditory space perception during head movements offers insights into multisensory integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spatial perception of auditory space during rapid head turns.
- To determine if auditory spatial representation undergoes compression similar to visual space.
- To explore the role of different response measures in auditory spatial perception.
Main Methods:
- Psychophysical investigation of auditory spatial perception during head turns.
- Utilized separate perceptual and behavioral response measures.
- Focused on the perisaccadic interval of head movements.
Main Results:
- Spatial compression of auditory space was observed during rapid head movements, with representation compressing by up to 50%.
- This compression was present only when using a perceptual response measure.
- The effect was absent when using a behavioral nose-pointing task.
Conclusions:
- Rapid head movements, like visual saccades, induce distortions in spatial perception.
- Auditory spatial representation can compress significantly during head turns.
- A common neural mechanism may underlie spatial distortions across auditory and visual modalities.
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