Article
Perception and Neural Processing of Auditory Azimuth and Distance Information in a Real and Virtual Environment (en)
* Presenting author
Abstract:
Virtual reality (VR) can be a useful tool for studying perceptional and attentional mechanisms in simulated real-world scenarios. However, it needs to be validated whether measurements in VR and the corresponding real space are comparable. In this study, we created an audio-visual virtual environment and compared the localization of sound sources in virtual and real space using behavioral and electrophysiological measures.In a spatial change detection task, participants responded to target sound positions deviating from a central standard position. Target sound sources were positioned in front of, behind, to the left and right of the central source. On separate days, participants performed the task in either the real or virtual environment, the latter replicating the visual and auditory characteristics of the real room via a head-mounted display and headphones. EEG data indicated equivalent auditory processing in both environments. Prominent event-related potentials associated with pre-attentive deviance detection, attention allocation, and target processing (mismatch negativity, P3a, P3b) showed comparable amplitudes and latencies per loudspeaker position. The results suggest similar neural processes in VR and real space. While further validation appears necessary, the results show that processes of spatial sound localization measured in a real laboratory setting can be validly reproduced in VR.