Examining auditory selective attention. From dichotic towards realistic environments

Oberem, Josefa · 2020 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.30819/5101

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This dissertation by Josefa Oberem (2020) investigates the cognitive control mechanisms underlying auditory selective attention, specifically addressing the transition from artificial dichotic-listening paradigms to realistic, spatially complex environments. Motivated by the limitations of traditional dichotic listening in capturing the "cocktail-party effect," the research aims to understand how variables such as dynamic binaural hearing, room acoustics, head movements, and age influence the efficiency of cognitive processing and the inhibition of irrelevant auditory information. The study employs a step-by-step extension of a well-established paradigm examining intentional switching of auditory selective attention. Participants were presented with spoken phrases consisting of digits (1–9, excluding 5) from two speakers at different azimuthal positions. A visual cue indicated the target’s spatial position prior to stimulus onset. Participants categorized the target digit as smaller or greater than five. Performance was measured via reaction times and error rates, with "switch costs" (the performance difference between repeating and switching the target’s location) serving as the primary metric for cognitive efficiency. To assess the processing of irrelevant information, the study utilized a congruency effect, where task-relevant and task-irrelevant digits either required the same or different responses. The experiments compared various reproduction methods, including real sources, individual and non-individual binaural synthesis via headphones, and cross-talk cancellation, while also testing effects of reverberation and participant age. The results demonstrated essential differences in auditory attention switching based on the method of spatial reproduction. The loss of individual information in non-individual binaural synthesis reduced the ability to inhibit irrelevant information compared to real sources or individual synthesis. Reverberation significantly increased switch costs and impaired inhibition, indicating that acoustic complexity hinders the suppression of distractors. Furthermore, the study identified distinct age-related effects: elderly participants exhibited greater difficulties in suppressing distractor speech and showed higher switch costs, particularly under reverberant conditions. These findings suggest that aging impacts the cognitive capacity to maintain selective attention in complex acoustic scenes, likely due to inhibitory deficits rather than general slowing alone. The significance of this work lies in its validation of a binaural-listening paradigm that bridges the gap between controlled laboratory settings and realistic listening scenarios. By demonstrating that technical aspects of sound reproduction and environmental factors like reverberation directly impact cognitive control mechanisms, the research provides critical insights for the design of hearing aids and audio technologies. It highlights the necessity of preserving individual spatial cues and managing reverberation to support effective communication, especially for older adults who face heightened challenges in noisy, multi-talker environments.

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• auditory