Speech Science Forum - Alice Milne

Our sensory systems constantly receive new information, requiring us to efficiently allocate cognitive resources by identifying important sources. Exploiting predictable environmental cues is one way the brain achieves this. Understanding how predictable stimuli affect perception is crucial in studying their impact on processing and attention. Some theories posit that predictable sources of information attract heightened arousal and attention because they establish the source as a stable feature of the environment. An alternative perspective suggests that the presence of regularity will facilitate processing and allow resources to be focused elsewhere.  One mechanism underlying the latter phenomenon involves a shift from demanding bottom-up processing to more efficient top-down mechanisms, where prior information is used to generate predictions about incoming sensory input. The neural system monitors prediction errors, deviations from the predictive model, rather than processing each stimulus anew. This talk focuses on data from adult humans, specifically in the auditory domain, drawing on research from behavioural, pupillometry, and EEG studies. It explores evidence showing that predictability aids sensory processing and reduces cognitive effort, consistent with the theory that predictability facilitates processing. Additionally, it examines how predictability influences the processing of incoming information, including neural responses to auditory sequences and the modulation of behavioural and neural responses to unexpected stimuli based on preceding predictability. Overall, these insights enhance our understanding of how cognitive systems adapt to the constant flow of information in our dynamic environment.

This event will also be streamed online: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/94202607655?pwd=Wkp6YUtESFFFUHM2SGhjV29OdjBVdz09