PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Darrell Rudmann

MA-Research
May 1997

Auditory Cue Accuracy in Localization and Identification Stages of Visual Search

    This study examined the nature of auditory spatial facilitation by employing thee levels of auditory cue accuracy: equated (sound displayed at the target), displaced (sound offset 6º from the target), and centered (sound displayed at the initial fixation point) and three densities of local distractors – distractors within 6.5º of visual angle of the auditory cure – and of global distractors (0 %, 20%, and 80%).
    When present, global distractors produced a weak, constant degradation in mean search times for spatial cues.  Increases in the density of local distractors produced constant rates of increase in mean search times for spatial cues, with displaced cues affecting search performance at a higher rate than equated cues.  Spatial auditory cues appear to benefit visual search performance by guiding the line of gaze to the local area of the target and can aid in the target identification, despite the poorer acuity of the human auditory system.

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