Regression to the mean explains perception of action consequences

Area of Science:

• Auditory perception
• Psychoacoustics
• Cognitive neuroscience

Background:

• Self-generated actions typically lead to sensory attenuation, making events seem less intense.
• However, some studies report sensory enhancement for self-produced sounds, creating a paradox.
• Existing theories, like the forward model, struggle to explain both phenomena consistently.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if sensory attenuation and enhancement are adaptive responses to mean sound statistics.
• To test if predictions about upcoming sounds shift auditory processing towards the average sound context.
• To challenge the dominant forward model explanation for sensory attenuation.

Main Methods:

• 330 human participants rated the loudness of self-produced sounds (40-80 dB).
• Auditory processing was manipulated by creating contexts with predominantly loud (80 dB) or quiet (40 dB) sounds.
• Perceived loudness was measured under predictable and unpredictable sound conditions.

Main Results:

• Perceived loudness showed regression towards the mean sound level, regardless of whether sounds were self-produced or passively heard.
• Predictability of sounds, not self-generation, was the key factor driving perceptual changes.
• In adapted contexts, rarely presented quiet tones were enhanced in loud contexts, and loud tones were attenuated in quiet contexts.

Conclusions:

• Sensory attenuation and enhancement can be explained by regression towards the mean sound level.
• Predictability, rather than self-generation, is the primary driver of these perceptual shifts.
• Findings challenge the forward model and suggest alternative explanations for auditory perception adaptation.