Recognition of brief sounds in rapid serial auditory presentation

Journal article

This dissertation explores the psychoacoustic origins of auditory salience in musical scenes—the ability of sounds to attract attention. The first study shows that some instruments draw more attention than others, with prior knowledge about the instrument’s sound mitigating this effect. While bass instruments lack salience, vocals stand out as particularly salient, coining the term ‘vocal salience.’ The second study identifies frequency micro-modulations in vocals as crucial for salience. The third study reveals that vocal sounds don’t possess salience automatically, but require unique acoustic factors, such as spectral distinctiveness. The final study reveals a perceptual bias toward the spectral edges of an auditory scene, contrasting with the lack of salience observed in bass instruments. These studies highlight the interplay of acoustic properties and cognitive factors that enable auditory salience in musical scenes

Authors: Akça, M; Vuoskoski, JK; Laeng, B; Bishop, L

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Journal: PLoS ONE
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 4
• Pages: e0284396-e0284396
• Publication date: 2023-04-13
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284396
• EISSN: 1932-6203
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• Language: English
• Keywords: Loudness; Computer science; Cognitive psychology; Neuroscience; Medicine; Musical; Tone (literature); Pitch (Music); Speech recognition; Auditory cortex; Audiology; Stimulus (psychology); Psychology; Timbre; Auditory perception; Perception; Musical tone