scholarly journals Sub- and Supra-Second Timing in Auditory Perception: Evidence for Cross-Domain Relationships

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elzbieta Szelag ◽  
Magdalena Stanczyk ◽  
Aneta Szymaszek
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Order ◽  
Temporal Order Judgment ◽  
Temporal Integration ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Mental Load ◽  
Common Time ◽  
Cross Domain ◽  
Temporal Domain ◽  
Temporal Efficiency

Previous studies indicate that there are at least two levels of temporal processing: the sub- and supra-second domains. The relationship between these domains remains unclear. The aim of this study was to test whether performance on the sub-second level is related to that on the supra-second one, or whether these two domains operate independently. Participants were 118 healthy adults (mean age = 23 years). The sub-second level was studied with a temporal-order judgment task and indexed by the Temporal Order Threshold (TOT), on which lower values corresponded to better performance. On the basis of TOT results, the initial sample was classified into two groups characterized by either higher temporal efficiency (HTE) or lower temporal efficiency (LTE). Next, the efficiency of performance on the supra-second level was studied in these two groups using the subjective accentuation task, in which participants listened to monotonous sequences of beats and were asked to mentally accentuate every n-th beat to create individual rhythmic patterns. The extent of temporal integration was assessed on the basis of the number of beats being united and better performance corresponded to longer units. The novel results are differences between groups in this temporal integration. The HTE group integrated beats in significantly longer units than did the LTE group. Moreover, for tasks with higher mental load, the HTE group relied more on a constant time strategy, whereas the LTE group relied more on mental counting, probably because of less efficient temporal integration. These findings provide insight into associations between sub- and supra-second levels of processing and point to a common time keeping system, which is active independently of temporal domain.

Is A always red? Multisensory integration of synesthetic stimuli in synesthetes and non-synesthetes

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Miketa Arvaniti ◽  
Noam Sagiv ◽  
Lucille Lecoutre ◽  
Argiro Vatakis
Keyword(s):  
Multisensory Integration ◽  
Temporal Order ◽  
Temporal Order Judgment ◽  
Temporal Integration ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Crossmodal Correspondences ◽  
Sensory Experiences ◽  
Audiovisual Stimuli ◽  
Processing Mechanisms

Our research project aimed at investigating multisensory temporal integration in synesthesia and explore whether or not there are commonalities in the sensory experiences of synesthetes and non-synesthetes. Specifically, we investigated whether or not synesthetes are better integrators than non-synesthetes by examining the strength of multisensory binding (i.e., the unity effect) using an unspeeded temporal order judgment task. We used audiovisual stimuli based on grapheme-colour synesthetic associations (Experiment 1) and on crossmodal correspondences (e.g., high-pitch — light colours; Experiment 2) presented at various stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) with the method of constant stimuli. Presentation of these stimuli in congruent and incongruent format allowed us to examine whether congruent stimuli lead to a stronger unity effect than incongruent ones in synesthetes and non-synesthetes and, thus, whether synesthetes experience enhanced multisensory integration than non-synesthetes. Preliminary data support the hypothesis that congruent crossmodal correspondences lead to a stronger unity effect than incongruent ones in both groups, with this effect being stronger in synesthetes than non-synesthetes. We also found that synesthetes experience stronger unity effect when presented with idiosyncratically congruent grapheme-colour associations than in incongruent ones as compared to non-synesthetes trained in certain grapheme-colour associations. Currently, we are investigating (Experiment 3) whether trained non-synesthetes exhibit enhanced integration when presented with synesthetic associations that occur frequently among synesthetes. Utilizing this design we will provide psychophysical evidence of the multisensory integration in synesthesia and the possible common processing mechanisms in synesthetes and non-synesthetes.

scholarly journals Broad scope of attention results in better temporal resolution: Evidence from a temporal order judgment study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramya Mudumba ◽  
Narayanan Srinivasan
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Order ◽  
Temporal Order Judgment ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Spatiotemporal Resolution ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Spatiotemporal Processing ◽  
Broad Scope ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Hierarchical Stimuli

The nature of spatiotemporal interactions in visual perception due to modulations of attention is still not well understood. Transient shifts of attention have been shown to induce a trade-off in spatiotemporal acuities at the cued location. Attention also can be varied in terms of scope and the evidence for the effects of scope on the spatiotemporal resolution for coupling or trade-offs have been equivocal. We predicted that scaling or changing the scope of attention would rather result in a spatiotemporal trade-off based on the complementary spatial and temporal frequency properties of the magnocellular and parvocellular channels. We manipulated the scope of attention by asking participants to perform a global or local target detection task with hierarchical stimuli. In addition, participants performed a temporal order judgment task with two discs presented alongside the hierarchical stimuli. We found higher temporal sensitivity with broad scope of attention or global processing compared to narrow scope of attention or local processing. The results provide evidence for a spatiotemporal processing trade-off when attention is scaled spatially. This result throws doubt on a general coupling or resource metaphor explanation irrespective of the spatial or temporal nature of the tasks. The results indicate the further need for carefully investigating the spatial and temporal properties of attention and its effect on spatiotemporal processing at different scales.

Temporal and non-temporal processes in the elderly

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Fostick ◽  
Harvey Babkoff
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Resolution ◽  
Auditory Perception ◽  
Temporal Order ◽  
Temporal Order Judgment ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Intensity Discrimination ◽  
Adult Intelligence Scale ◽  
Temporal Domain ◽  
Age Related ◽  
General Decline

Abstract Background: The present study examined whether the reported age-related decline in auditory temporal resolution is specific to the temporal domain or rather reflects a general decline in auditory perception, including the stimulus intensity domain. Methods: The performance of 89 healthy participants aged between 21 and 82 years with normal hearing was tested on a variety of psychophysical tasks, where discrimination was based either on the temporal or on the intensity domains. Stimulus levels for all tasks were 40 dB SL (corrected for threshold). Participants were also tested on two cognitive tasks: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Third Edition, matrices and digit span. Results: Findings indicate that age was significantly negatively correlated with performance on three of the temporal resolution tasks, namely, dichotic temporal-order judgment, spectral temporal-order judgment, and gap detection, but not on the intensity discrimination task, thus emphasizing the specificity of the age-related decline to the auditory temporal domain. Conclusions: The overall results suggest that age-related changes in auditory perception are specific to the temporal domain, even when controlling for hearing sensitivity and cognitive ability, and are not reflected in other aspects of non-temporal perception, such as intensity discrimination.

scholarly journals Stuck on a Plateau? A Model-Based Approach to Fundamental Issues in Visual Temporal-Order Judgments

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Tünnermann ◽  
Ingrid Scharlau
Keyword(s):  
Model Comparison ◽  
Temporal Order ◽  
Temporal Order Judgment ◽  
Visual Cognition ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Accurate Data ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Visual Events ◽  
Temporal Order Judgments ◽  
Model Based Analysis

Humans are incapable of judging the temporal order of visual events at brief temporal separations with perfect accuracy. Their performance---which is of much interest in visual cognition and attention research---can be measured with the temporal-order judgment task, which typically produces S-shaped psychometric functions. Occasionally, researchers reported plateaus within these functions, and some theories predict such deviation from the basic S shape. However, the centers of the psychometric functions result from the weakest performance at the most difficult presentations and therefore fluctuate strongly, leaving existence and exact shapes of plateaus unclear. This study set out to investigate whether plateaus disappear if the data accuracy is enhanced, or if we are ``stuck on a plateau'', or rather with it. For this purpose, highly accurate data were assessed by model-based analysis. The existence of plateaus is confidently confirmed and two plausible mechanisms derived from very different models are presented. Neither model, however, performs well in the presence of a strong attention manipulation, and model comparison remains unclear on the question which of the models describes the data best. Nevertheless, the present study includes the highest accuracy in visual TOJ data and the most explicit models of plateaus in TOJ studied so far.

scholarly journals Stuck on a Plateau? A Model-Based Approach to Fundamental Issues in Visual Temporal-Order Judgments

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Tünnermann ◽  
Ingrid Scharlau
Keyword(s):  
Model Comparison ◽  
Temporal Order ◽  
Temporal Order Judgment ◽  
Visual Cognition ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Accurate Data ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Visual Events ◽  
Temporal Order Judgments ◽  
Model Based Analysis

Humans are incapable of judging the temporal order of visual events at brief temporal separations with perfect accuracy. Their performance---which is of much interest in visual cognition and attention research---can be measured with the temporal-order judgment task, which typically produces S-shaped psychometric functions. Occasionally, researchers reported plateaus within these functions, and some theories predict such deviation from the basic S shape. However, the centers of the psychometric functions result from the weakest performance at the most difficult presentations and therefore fluctuate strongly, leaving existence and exact shapes of plateaus unclear. This study set out to investigate whether plateaus disappear if the data accuracy is enhanced, or if we are ``stuck on a plateau'', or rather with it. For this purpose, highly accurate data were assessed by model-based analysis. The existence of plateaus is confidently confirmed and two plausible mechanisms derived from very different models are presented. Neither model, however, performs well in the presence of a strong attention manipulation, and model comparison remains unclear on the question which of the models describes the data best. Nevertheless, the present study includes the highest accuracy in visual TOJ data and the most explicit models of plateaus in TOJ studied so far.

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