Crossmodal cueing of masker location in a localization-in-noise task

Simpson et al. [JASA 129(4), 2489, (2011)] found that localization of a target presented in a simultaneous masker improved when, on a trial-by-trial basis, a preview of the masking stimulus was presented at the location of the upcoming masker. Subsequent research revealed that this improvement resulted solely from cueing the location of the masker (i.e., cueing spectro-temporal properties of the masker provided no additional benefit). In the present study, we examined the degree to which the benefit of cueing masker location depended on the modality in which this cue was provided. In separate blocks of trials, the location of the masker was cued auditorily, visually (LED activated at the masker location) and audio-visually, and compared to performance in a no-cue baseline. The results revealed a substantial (∼10 dB) benefit of cueing the masker auditorily over the no-cue condition, consistent with previous results. Importantly, there was also a substantial (albeit smaller) benefit of a visual cue (∼6 dB). Performance with a bimodal cue was no different than performance with an auditory cue. Thus, although hearing a sound from the upcoming masker location was most effective, the ability to effectively cue space crossmodally suggests that the spatial information itself is most critical.