Distinct talkers combat catastrophic failures of spatial attention due to interruption.

ABSTRACT: Task-irrelevant features can impact formation of auditory objects and influence the effectiveness of selective attention, including the buildup of attention over time. Using a previously established paradigm exploring the effects of random interruptions on spatial selective attention, this study explores how the task-irrelevant feature of talker identity impacts the buildup of spatial attention and whether it alters the impact of interruptions. Participants performed a sequence recall task in which participants were presented with two competing syllable sequences coming from different spatial directions and were asked to report the syllable sequence coming from the target direction. On half of the trials, an unpredictable, novel interrupting sound occurred, disrupting attentional focus. Tw

SUBMITTER: Liang W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12724169 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature