Abstract:
The ability of the auditory system to provide localization cues beyond the field of view provides individuals with critical directional information needed to visually acquire objects in the periphery. In recent years, the performance benefits of augmenting visual tasks with stationary auditory cues have been demonstrated in numerous laboratory studies. The research program described in this presentation adds to these initial findings by demonstrating that dynamic auditory cues conveying information regarding object position, velocity, and trajectory can aid performance in visually guided tasks. In the first experiment, the effects of spatial auditory preview cues were examined in a visual target aiming task. A moving sound source provided cues regarding the position and velocity of a moving visual target prior to its appearance on the visual display. The provision of the dynamic spatial auditory cue significantly reduced error magnitudes in aimed firing responses directed at the visual target. In the second experiment, headphone simulations of spatial auditory cues provided preview information regarding target position, velocity, and trajectory beyond the field of view in a dynamic visual search task. The provision of spatial auditory preview cues significantly reduced response times and error rates in acquiring and identifying the dynamic visual targets.