Build-up of the tendency to segregate auditory streams: Resetting effects evoked by a single deviant tone

Abstract

The tendency to hear a sequence of alternating low (L) and high (H) frequency tones as two streams can be increased by a preceding induction sequence, even one composed only of same-frequency tones. Four experiments used such an induction sequence (10 identical L tones) to promote segregation in a shorter test sequence comprising L and H tones. Previous studies have shown that the build-up of stream segregation is usually reduced greatly when a sudden change in acoustic properties distinguishes all of the induction tones from their test-sequence counterparts. Experiment 1 showed that a single deviant tone, created by altering the final inducer (in frequency, level, duration, or replacement with silence) reduced reported segregation, often substantially. Experiment 2 partially replicated this finding, using changes in temporal discrimination as a measure of streaming. Experiments 3 and 4 varied the size of a frequency change applied to the deviant tone; the extent of resetting varied with size only gradually. The results suggest that resetting begins to occur once the change is large enough to be noticeable. Since the prior inducers always remained unaltered in the deviant-tone conditions, it is proposed that a single change actively resets the build-up evoked by the induction sequence.

Properties of auditory stream formation

“…Consistent with this idea, Haywood & Roberts [22] showed that a single deviant tone (a change in frequency, duration or replacement with silence) at the end of an induction sequence can lead to substantial resetting of build-up. They proposed that a single change actively resets the build-up evoked by the induction sequence.…”

Loss and persistence of implicit memory for sound: Evidence from auditory stream segregation context effects

“…The process of perception changing from one stream to two streams with longer sequences is called buildup and has been attributed to adaptation of frequency-tuned neurons in the brainstem and the auditory cortex (Micheyl, Tian, Carlyon, & Rauschecker, 2005;Pressnitzer, Sayles, Micheyl, & Winter, 2008). Consistent with the idea of adaptation of frequencytuned neurons causing buildup is the finding that a preceding sequence of single-frequency tones that match the frequency of A or B tones can facilitate streaming (Beauvois & Meddis, 1997;Haywood & Roberts, 2010;Rogers & Bregman, 1993).…”

Multistability in auditory stream segregation: a predictive coding view

“…It is therefore possible that only relatively large stimulus changes trigger a perceptual reset. However, Haywood & Roberts [64] found perceptual reset with a change (deviation) of only three semitones, and Anstis & Saida [55], presenting frequency-modulated tones, observed a reset with a change of two semitones from the centre of adaptation. Thus, the requirement of large stimulus change is doubtful.…”

“…Previous studies [36,55,[64][65][66] have consistently reported perceptual reset (i.e. a restart from the state at the outset dominated by the integrated percept, with the necessity to gather evidence for the segregated organization anew) when parameter changes were introduced in the auditory streaming paradigm.…”