Audition: Cognitive Influences

Audition is the ability to sense and perceive sound. Audition relies on bottom-up sensory mechanisms, which govern how the sound is changed from physical energy in the environment to electrical impulses used by the brain, and top-down cognitive perceptual mechanisms, which govern how we identify and interpret sounds. The ability to transduce sound is only one small part of audition because the cognitive abilities we bring to bear when listening are also important for auditory perception. For example, imagine that you are walking down a dark street at night and you hear the sound of a dog barking. A wealth of auditory information is available in the signal that will tell you about the dog and determine how you will react to it. Bottom-up processes will allow you to identify where the dog is located (in front or behind you; on your left or right), tell you about its proximity (near or far away), and whether the dog is outside in a yard (if the sound is clear and unobstructed) or inside a building (if the sound is muffled and filtered by the walls). However, top-down mechanisms will influence your perception of the auditory information and determine how you will react to the sound. Such mechanisms allow you to accurately identify the sound as being produced by a dog rather than some other source (a cat, or a person imitating a dog) and allow you to determine its size (small or large) or possibly its breed (such as a Bassett hound, Chihuahua, or Rottweiler). You may also be able to determine the mood of the dog (does it sound friendly or unfriendly? does it sound excited, sad, fearful, or aggressive?). If you have had bad experiences with dogs, you may interpret the sounds as being aggressive, eliciting a fear response. If you have had good experiences with dogs, the sound may elicit a more neutral or positive response. Even in the seemingly simple case of hearing a barking dog, a variety of cognitive processes are brought to bear when you interpret the auditory information and will ultimately determine your response. This entry describes adaptation, attention, and context of cognitive influences on audition, as well as perceptual learning and expertise.