Compression of auditory space during rapid head turns

Abstract

Studies of spatial perception during visual saccades have demonstrated compressions of visual space around the saccade target. Here we psychophysically investigated perception of auditory space during rapid head turns, focusing on the ''perisaccadic'' interval. Using separate perceptual and behavioral response measures we show that spatial compression also occurs for rapid head movements, with the auditory spatial representation compressing by up to 50%. Similar to observations in the visual system, this occurred only when spatial locations were measured by using a perceptual response; it was absent for the behavioral measure involving a nose-pointing task. These findings parallel those observed in vision during saccades and suggest that a common neural mechanism may subserve these distortions of space in each modality.action and perception ͉ auditory localization ͉ head motion ͉ saccades ͉ spatial perception

Effects of self-motion on auditory scene analysis

“…A compression of auditory space has been reported just before the initiation of rapid head movements (23). The velocity of head movements in our study was, on average, smaller than in the study by Leung et al (23); nevertheless, it may have caused some compression.…”

Using Peripersonal Warning Signals to Orient a Driver’s Gaze

“…Given that empirical studies have suggested that auditory stimuli presented from in front and behind might be treated in a qualitatively different manner by the human brain (see Kitagawa et al, 2005;Kitagawa & Spence, 2006;Tajadura-Jiménez et al, 2009;Zampini, Torresan, Spence, & Murray, 2007), we thought that this might have been a factor that helped to account for the effectiveness of the close rear auditory warning signals compared with their far frontal counterparts in the previous two experiments (cf. Leung, Alais, & Carlile, 2008). In our final experiment, therefore, the auditory warning signals were always presented from in front of the participants, and all that was now varied was whether they were presented from close or far away, with the vibrotactile warning signals being presented to the middle of the participant's stomach (i.e., again to the front).…”

Dependence of auditory spatial updating on vestibular, proprioceptive, and efference copy signals

“…A possible explanation for the measured updating errors might be distortion and compression of auditory space or biases due to representational momentum during head turns (Cooper et al 2008;Leung et al 2008;Feinkohl et al 2014). Leung et al (2008) state that for compressive spatial errors of auditory or visual space during head turns to be revealed, high head velocities of at least 200°/s are needed.…”

“…Leung et al (2008) state that for compressive spatial errors of auditory or visual space during head turns to be revealed, high head velocities of at least 200°/s are needed. In our study, maximal head velocities were around 50°/s (see Fig.…”