Auditory distraction, capacity limitations, and target-distractor relationships under perceptual and cognitive loads

Abstract

Auditory distraction occurs when unwanted sounds interfere with the perception or processing of target information. Cross-modal paradigms have identified target-distractor similarities, capacity limitations, and type of task load as factors that influence distractibility. Given the scarceness of data specific to the auditory domain, this study investigated contributions from these factors across four listening tasks varying in perceptual (PL) and cognitive load (CL). Thirty adults (M = 23.65 years) participated in all conditions and were divided into high- or low-working memory capacity (WMC) groups following a listening-span task. Targets were spoken-digits (1-through-9) and distractors were either “Standards” (80% of trials) or one of three “Deviants” (noise-bursts, consonants, spoken-digits; 20% of trials). Experiment 1, high-PL, and Experiment 4, high-CL, were the only two conditions yielding effects of WMC and distractors. Under high-PL, high-WMC group reaction times (RTs) were both longer overall (p = 0.026) and in the presence of spoken-digit distractors (p = 0.014). In contrast, under high-CL, low-WMC group RTs were longer overall (p < 0.01) and spoken-digit distractors affected both groups (p < 0.01). Experiments 2 and 3 shared low-PL and CL, resulting in no effects. Patterns suggest that load type for a given listening task drives how capacity limitations and target-distractor similarities impact auditory distractibility.