Examining auditory selective attention in realistic, natural environments with an optimized paradigm

The topic of the collaborative project is the exploration of cognitive control mechanisms underlying auditory selective attention. The aim is to examine the influence of variables that increase the complexity of the auditory scene with respect to technical aspects (dynamic binaural hearing with consideration of room acoustics and head movements) and that influence the efficiency of cognitive processing. Using a binaural-listening paradigm, the ability to intentionally shift auditory attention in various anechoic setups was tested. An anechoic reproduction fails to represent realistic listening experiences. The original paradigm is extended to use longer stimuli to offer more opportunities. Spoken phrases by two speakers were presented simultaneously to subjects from two of eight positions. The stimuli were phrases that consisted of a single number word followed by either the German direction “UP” or “DOWN”. Guided by a visual cue prior to auditory stimulus onset, subjects were asked to identify whether the target number was smaller or greater than five and to categorize the direction. Results showed generally greater reaction times and higher error rates using phrase stimuli than single word stimuli. The extended paradigm is therefore deemed suitable for studying auditory selective attention in more complex environments which can include room acoustics.