Selective Attention Fails to Alter the Dichotic Listening Lag Effect: Evidence That the Lag Effect Is Preattentional

• Published in: Brain and language Vol. 71; no. 3; pp. 373 - 390
• Main Authors: Wood, Stacey, Hiscock, Merrill, Widrig, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 15.02.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Attention; Attention - physiology; Auditory Localization; Auditory Perception; Biological and medical sciences; Dichotic Listening Tests; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Key Words: auditory masking; Language; Male; Perceptual Masking - physiology; Phonetics; Production and perception of spoken language; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reaction Time; sound localization; Sound Localization - physiology; Speech Perception - physiology; Syllables; temporal processing; Time Perception - physiology; temporal processing; Key Words: auditory masking; sound localization; Human; Dichotic audition; Stimulus localization; Auditory attention; Preattention; Cognition; Space perception; Verbal perception; Time; Experimental study; Selective attention; Divided attention; Language; Masking
• DOI: 10.1006/brln.1999.2271
• ISSN: 0093-934X

Berlin et al. (1973) reported that either stimulus from a dichotic pair of consonant–vowel syllables is processed preferentially when its presentation is delayed by 30–60 ms. In the first of three experiments with 60 normal right-handed adults, we replicated the Berlin et al. “lag effect,” but only for asynchronies between 60 and 90 ms. In Experiment 2 subjects focused attention selectively on one ear. The results indicated that focused attention and stimulus asynchrony have additive effects: Performance improved at the attended ear irrespective of stimulus asynchrony, but the lag effect remained unchanged relative to the divided-attention condition. Experiment 3 entailed a signal detection task that allowed separate analysis of detection and localization accuracy. As in previous studies, selective attention to one ear increased the accuracy of localization but not detection at the attended ear. Both dependent measures indicated a lag effect that remained invariant as attention was manipulated. These findings imply that the lag effect is attributable to a preattentional stage of auditory processing.