Tuning in: can humans use auditory cues for spatial reorientation?

Spatial reorientation with a geometric array of auditory cues

“…Thus, the current study extends the incidental encoding of geometry to auditory-based reorientation and suggests that this phenomenon generalises across sensory modalities. This is another indication that the mechanisms of spatial learning are similar regardless of the encoding modality (Avraamides et al, 2004; Giudice et al, 2009, 2011; Levine et al, 1982; Nardi, Twyman, et al, 2019; Yamamoto & Shelton, 2005), which is consistent with the theory of functional equivalence (Bryant, 1997; Loomis et al, 2007). According to this view, the representation of the environment is developed amodally (Loomis et al, 2013), and given appropriate exposure to the environment, different sensory modalities support equivalent spatial behaviour and performance (Giudice, 2018).…”

“…Each one of the auditory landmarks (voice, chirping, typing, and piano) would have sufficed to encode the target location, as the participants could have simply used a landmark strategy and learned an association between one particular sound source and the target (e.g., the angle between the chirping and the target; see Figure 1). Previous studies have already shown that this is possible (Nardi, Twyman, et al, 2019; Viaud-Delmon & Warusfel, 2014) and that, indeed, a single auditory landmark is sufficient for spatial reorientation (Nardi, Anzures, et al, 2019). Therefore, this finding is not novel, but it confirms the very limited evidence on auditory-based navigation.…”

“…This question is relevant to the theory of functional equivalence (Bryant, 1997; Loomis et al, 2007; Loomis et al, 2013), which holds that the representation of external space is developed amodally (Loomis et al, 2013), and that—given appropriate cues and acquisition time—different encoding modalities support equivalent spatial representations, behaviour, and performance (Giudice, 2018). Functional equivalence is supported by a growing body of evidence (Avraamides et al, 2004; Giudice et al, 2009, 2011; Levine et al, 1982; Nardi, Twyman, et al, 2019; Yamamoto & Shelton, 2005). Recently, incidental encoding of geometric information has been found also with blindfolded, sighted participants using haptic information.…”

“…This would be considered a landmark strategy, as the location of the target would be encoded relative to one or more distinctive auditory cues. Based on previous findings (Nardi, Anzures, et al, 2019; Nardi, Twyman, et al, 2019; Viaud-Delmon & Warusfel, 2014), we expected that participants would be able to readily learn the task and reposition the object with errors smaller than expected by chance. After four training trials, to further investigate how the participants learned the task, we administered test trials during which the auditory cues were manipulated.…”

“…With a flat floor and only a single auditory landmark, participants encoded the auditory information and performed at a level above chance, but not spontaneously (they had to be explicitly instructed to use the sound). During a follow-up study (Nardi, Twyman, et al, 2019), which used more salient auditory stimuli and a slightly different procedure, participants were able to use a single, certain auditory landmark as well as a pair of ambiguous auditory landmarks for reorientation. Taken together, results from these studies suggest that humans are able to reorient using one or more auditory landmarks, and can use these landmarks to localise a target (i.e., humans can form a spatial association between a target and an auditory source).…”