LEARN 2 HEAR & SEE

"Perceptual, Contextual, and Cross-modal Learning in Hearing and Vision"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Humans and other living organisms are constantly exposed to new stimuli and environments. In order to correctly respond in such situations, they must recalibrate their perceptual processing in new environments and learn to recognize new stimuli and situations. The current project proposes to use behavioral experiments, brain imaging, and computational modeling to study the processes of learning and calibration in 1) auditory distance perception in human listeners and 2) visual spatial perception. A series of behavioral experiments will study 1) how human listeners recalibrate their auditory processing in order to correctly perceive distance of sound sources, how they consolidate and memorize the new calibrations, and how is vision used in the calibration process, and 2) the relationship between perceptual and contextual learning. Imaging studies will analyze the brain areas important for auditory distance perception and the time course of learning and calibration, as well as the structures influenced by perceptual and contextual learning. Finally, models of 1) auditory distance perception and of 2) perceptual and congtextual learning will be proposed with stress on the mechanisms of learning and calibration. These results are important, e.g., for development of new prosthetic devices and new virtual reality technologies. An important goal of the proposal is to obtain new knowledge and skills related to studying human perceptual processes. Skills to perform sensory learning research, visual psychophysics using eye-tracking, noninvasive brain imaging (EEG and fMRI), and computational modeling will be exchanged during the stays. The skills will help in development of computation and cognitive neuroscience in new EU member countries (Slovakia), as well as in strenghtening the ERA (collaboration between Slovakia and the UK). Finally, this proposal will establish a new long-term collaboration between EU and US researchers.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

The human learning process is influenced by multiple complex factors, out of which hearing and vision are very important. EU-funded researchers are working on understanding the learning process and areas of the brain involved in this.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Two European and 2 US institutions have collaborated in the project 'Perceptual, contextual, and cross-modal learning in hearing and vision' (LEARN 2 HEAR & SEE).

Researchers conducted behavioural experiments, imaging studies and computational modelling to understand how humans perceive objects and distance using hearing and vision.Multiple experiments and modelling studies were carried out using auditory stimuli to judge distance and perceive objects.

The researchers observed better room-specific auditory distance perception in listeners over several days, particularly, when they focused on sound reflections. Easy association between auditory stimuli and room characteristics made their learning process even faster.

Scientists successfully determined the areas of the brain involved in distance processing from auditory sources using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and virtual acoustics techniques.

Modelling studies showed that people judge distance in rooms using room reflection as individual cues rather than binaural cues (i.e.

information perceived from both ears).

This suggests that people switch between individual cues for spatial perception when moving from room to room.

Experiments using visual stimuli revealed that participants quickly but unconsciously learn to develop expectations from visual stimuli.

As a result, learning and perception is faster.

Unfortunately, when presented with other visual stimuli, biases and hallucinations occurred as people incorrectly perceived these stimuli to be more similar to the expected stimulus.

Other studies revealed that people develop long-term expectations based on lifetime exposure to visual stimuli that can lead to biases and hallucinations.

However, these expectations can be changed through a series of experimental training sessions.

Simulations revealed that participants have a limited capacity to learn from different sets of visual stimuli with complex statistics.Project activities have highlighted how we process and perceive information obtained through auditory and visual stimuli.

These results can be used to develop innovative sensory prosthetic devices and virtual reality technologies to help rehabilitate the blind and deaf.