Numbers in Short-Term Memory Bias Auditory Spatial Perception

• Published in: Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance 2021-04, Vol.47 (4), p.616-633
• Main Authors: Anderson, Maxwell T., Kaminski, Nativita R., Mock, Jeffrey R., Golob, Edward J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Auditory Perception; Bias; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Bias; Dichotic listening; Dichotic Stimulation; Female; Human; Judgment; Listening; Male; Memory; Memory bias; Numbers; Numbers (Numerals); Penetration; Short term; Short Term Memory; Spatial discrimination; Spatial Memory; Spatial Perception
• ISSN: 0096-1523; 1939-1277
• DOI: 10.1037/xhp0000903

The cognitive penetration literature suggests that top-down knowledge influences perception, but whether such influences exist is controversial. We tested for top-down influences on perception by loading short-term memory with digits and then had participants make perceptual judgments to index spatial hearing. Memory of spatial number codes were predicted to bias spatial judgments to the left for small digits and rightward for larger digits. Participants encoded one or more digits and then made spatial judgments in either spatial hearing or dichotic listening tasks. Results across five experiments supported the predicted spatial biases. Digits had to be deliberately encoded, and at least two were needed to be memorized before a small number left-right bias in dichotic listening was evident. In dichotic listening, smaller numbers in memory also promoted more intrusions, and a mix of small and large numbers enhanced the right ear advantage. Results suggest that long-term knowledge about number magnitude imparts a top-down bias on auditory spatial perception. Public Significance StatementPerceptual systems represent information sampled from the environment. It is important for such systems to accurately preserve this information, which may interact with other cognitive functions such as attention, memory, executive functions, decision making, and action. Prior work suggests that information from other cognitive systems might infiltrate perception ("cognitive penetration"), leading to subtle perceptual biases. However, there are multiple conceptual and methodological challenges that argue against the existence of cognitive penetration. This study took a different approach by experimentally manipulating the contents of short-term memory while participants performed auditory spatial perception tasks. We found that the magnitude of numerical information in short-term memory has a systematic influence on auditory spatial perception.