Auditory detection and recognition in a two-alternative,directional uncertainty situation

The effects of directional uncertainty on the detection and recognition of auditory signals were investigated, with particular reference to predictions from the Luce-Shipley choice theory analysis. Sixteen Ss were used in a group detection and recognition task, involving auditory signals in a white noise background, from two alternative sources to the right and left of the Ss. Confidence ratings and false alarm rates were used to calculate detectability measures, and from confusion matrices signal recognition and response bias parameters were estimated. The results indicated that detectability is reduced by uncertainty of this kind, provided the initial detectability of the signal is fairly high. However, recognition was apparently unrelated to detection performance, except in very general terms. Certainly the data revealed no evidence for a precise, quantifiable relation.