Auditory color constancy: Calibration to reliable spectral properties across nonspeech context and targets

Abstract

Brief experience with reliable spectral characteristics of a listening context can markedly alter perception of subsequent speech sounds, and parallels have been drawn between auditory compensation for listening context and visual color constancy. In order to better evaluate such an analogy, the generality of acoustic context effects for sounds with spectral-temporal compositions distinct from speech was investigated. Listeners identified nonspeech sounds-extensively edited samples produced by a French horn and a tenor saxophone-following either resynthesized speech or a short passage of music. Preceding contexts were "colored" by spectral envelope difference filters, which were created to emphasize differences between French horn and saxophone spectra. Listeners were more likely to report hearing a saxophone when the stimulus followed a context filtered to emphasize spectral characteristics of the French horn, and vice versa. Despite clear changes in apparent acoustic source, the auditory system calibrated to relatively predictable spectral characteristics of filtered context, differentially affecting perception of subsequent target nonspeech sounds. This calibration to listening context and relative indifference to acoustic sources operates much like visual color constancy, for which reliable properties of the spectrum of illumination are factored out of perception of color.

Cognitive load makes speech sound fast, but does not modulate acoustic context effects

“…This is supported by findings that (1) non-speech, such as pure tones or sine wave speech, can also trigger acoustic context effects (Bosker, 2016b;Diehl & Walsh, 1989;Gordon, 1988;Huang & Holt, 2009;Laing, Liu, Lotto, & Holt, 2012;Sjerps, Mitterer, & McQueen, 2011;Stilp, Alexander, Kiefte, & Kluender, 2010;Wade & Holt, 2005); (2) non-human auditory perception exhibits qualitatively similar context effects (Dent, Brittan-Powell, Dooling, & Pierce, 1997;Lotto, Kluender, & Holt, 1997;Sinnott, Brown, & Borneman, 1998;Welch, Sawusch, & Dent, 2009);and (3) acoustic context effects occur very rapidly (Reinisch & Sjerps, 2013;Toscano & McMurray, 2015) operating prior to other perceptual processes, such as lexically guided perceptual learning (Sjerps & Reinisch, 2015) and stream segregation (Bosker, 2016a;Newman & Sawusch, 2009;cf. Reinisch, 2016b).…”

Temporal properties of perceptual calibration to local and broad spectral characteristics of a listening context

“…Stilp et al (2010) suggest that this auditory process is functionally similar to color constancy in vision. The spectral distribution of light entering the eye depends on both the spectrum of illumination and the spectral characteristics light encounters on its path to the eye (Nassau, 1983).…”

“…Despite multiple demonstrations incorporating both speech and non-speech signals (e.g., Holt, 2005Holt, , 2006Kiefte and Kluender, 2008;Stilp et al, 2010;Watkins, 1991;Watkins and Makin, 1994), relatively little is known about processes underlying perceptual calibration to listening context. Particularly with respect to applications of modern signal processing technology, natural biological mechanisms of perceptual calibration need to be better understood.…”

“…Stilp et al (2010) demonstrated complementary sensitivity to difference filters created from French horn and tenor saxophone spectra applied to precursors that were passages from a string quintet or a female talker. Both filtered music and speech precursors shifted identification of a morphed series between stylized French horn and tenor saxophone, highlighting the fact that the perceptual system calibrates to spectral characteristics of the listening context irrespective of the apparent identity of sources.…”

Effects of talker variability on spectral contrast effects.

“…There have also been a number of studies that show spectral contrast effects extend beyond speech sounds. For example, contrast effects hold for musical instruments where instead of test words, participants heard a tenor saxophone and French horn (Stilp, Alexander, Kiefte, & Kluender, 2010). Even simple compilations of sine tones (or "tone histories") that vary in duration and number of tones can be used to produce the effect (Holt, 2005;Holt, 2006 Stilp et al, 2015).…”