Numbers in short-term memory bias auditory spatial perception.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Auditory perception
• Neuroscience

Background:

• The cognitive penetration literature posits that top-down knowledge influences perception, but this remains a contentious topic.
• Understanding how prior knowledge affects sensory processing is crucial for cognitive science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether top-down knowledge, specifically number magnitude, influences auditory spatial perception.
• To test the hypothesis that memorized digits bias spatial judgments in auditory tasks.

Main Methods:

• Participants encoded digits into short-term memory.
• Perceptual judgments of spatial hearing and dichotic listening were performed.
• Five experiments were conducted to analyze spatial biases in auditory perception.

Main Results:

• Memorized digits induced predicted spatial biases: smaller numbers biased judgments leftward, larger numbers rightward.
• Deliberate encoding of at least two digits was necessary for a left-right bias in dichotic listening.
• Smaller numbers increased intrusions, while mixed digit sizes enhanced the right ear advantage.

Conclusions:

• Long-term knowledge of number magnitude exerts a top-down bias on auditory spatial perception.
• These findings support the role of cognitive penetration in shaping sensory experiences.
• The study provides empirical evidence for the interaction between memory, number cognition, and auditory processing.