Focused auditory attention and frequency selectivity

Abstract

The probe-signal method (Greenberg & Larkin, 1968) was used to determine the percentage of trials in which unpracticed subjects detected (two-interval, forced-choice)a soft, expected sound as compared with an unexpected sound. Pure tones at or near an expected frequency were detected in about 90% of the trials. Tones more than one-half critical band away were detected near chance (50%). Complex sounds (a band of noise or a multitone complex) were detected better if they were inside the same critical band as the expected signal than if they were outside the band. A signal that differed spectrally from the expected sound was not detected even though it had the same low pitch, based on a common fundamental frequency. The results may mean that under some conditions focused attention alters sensitivity in the auditory system.

The capacity for music: What is it, and what’s special about it?

“…Stream segregation occurs with non-musical auditory stimuli as well as musical stimuli. As in the visual field, auditory perception focuses on, or attends to, psychophysically proximate pitches (Scharf, Quigley, Aoki, Peachery, & Reeves, 1987). Likewise, in spoken language, large frequency differences function more distinctively than small ones.…”

Auditory attention to frequency and time: an analogy to visual local–global stimuli

“…More distant probes are detected poorly. In some cases the expected frequency is the same throughout the experiment, and in others is established by cues of various types presented before each trial (Hafter, Schlauch, & Tang, 1993;Hübner & Hafter, 1995;Macmillan & Schwartz, 1975;Scharf, Quigley, Aoki, Peachey, & Reeves, 1987;Schlauch & Hafter, 1991). These cues need not be informative in order for frequency facilitation to occur, which suggests that exogenous or automatic as well as endogenous or controlled mechanisms may be involved (Green & McKeown, 2001).…”

Inhibitory processes in auditory selective attention: Evidence of location-based and frequency-based inhibition of return

“…This apparent lack of interest may be unCopyright 1998 Psychonomic Society, Inc.derstandable given that there has been some controversy as to whether it is even possible to allocate auditory attention on the basis of spatial location or other features (e.g., Buchtel & Butter, 1988). However, recent evidence has established quite clearly that auditory attention may be deployed in response not only to a location cue (Mondor & Bryden, 1992a, 1992bMondor & Zatorre, 1995;Spence & Driver, 1994) but also to a frequency cue (Hafter, Schlauch, & Tang, 1993;Mondor & Bregman, 1994;Mondor, Zatorre, & Terrio, in press;Scharf, Quigley, Aoki, Peachey, & Reeves, 1987;Schlauch & Hafter, 1991).…”