Pupillometry in auditory multistability

Abstract

In multistability, a constant stimulus induces alternating perceptual interpretations. For many forms of visual multistability, the transition from one interpretation to another ("perceptual switch") is accompanied by a dilation of the pupil. Here we ask whether the same holds for auditory multistability, specifically auditory streaming. Two tones were played in alternation, yielding four distinct interpretations: the tones can be perceived as one integrated percept (single sound source), or as segregated with either tone or both tones in the foreground. We found that the pupil dilates significantly around the time a perceptual switch is reported ("multistable condition"). When participants instead responded to actual stimulus changes that closely mimicked the multistable perceptual experience ("replay condition"), the pupil dilated more around such responses than in multistability. This still held when data were corrected for the pupil response to the stimulus change as such. Hence, active responses to an exogeneous stimulus change trigger a stronger or temporally more confined pupil dilation than responses to an endogenous perceptual switch. In another condition, participants randomly pressed the buttons used for reporting multistability. In Study 1, this "random condition" failed to sufficiently mimic the temporal pattern of multistability. By adapting the instructions, in Study 2 we obtained a response pattern more similar to the multistable condition. In this case, the pupil dilated significantly around the random button presses. Albeit numerically smaller, this pupil response was not significantly different from the multistable condition. While there are several possible explanations-related, e.g., to the decision to respond-this underlines the difficulty to isolate a purely perceptual effect in multistability. Our data extend previous findings from visual to auditory multistability. They highlight methodological challenges in interpreting such data and suggest possible approaches to meet them, including a novel stimulus to simulate the experience of perceptual switches in auditory streaming.

Fig 1. Sound design for the replay condition.

A) Sounds mimicking the integrated percept (“int”) consisting of repeating chirps 1 [sound A] and 2 [sound B]; with the drift of frequency inside the sound. B-D) Sounds mimicking the segregated percepts. B) “seg_both” (chirps 3 [tone A] and 4 [tone B]); C) “seg_low” (chirps 3 [tone A] and 4-soft [tone B]) D) “seg_high” (chirps 3-soft [tone A] and 4 [tone B]). Note that the spacing is uniform on a log scale (i.e., the frequencies represent steps of 5 semitones), while the sweep itself is linear in frequency, hence the slight curvature in log space. Chirps with reduced level (50dB(A)) are depicted in gray (chirps 3-soft and 4-soft).

Fig 2. Perceptual alternatives in the multistable condition.

Original depiction taken from the paper instruction; dots: single sounds; lines: perceptual organization (solid: foreground; dashed: background); A) Integrated percept (“int”); B) Segregated percept, both streams in the foreground (“seg_both”); C) Segregated percept, low stream in the foreground (“seg_low”); D) Segregated percept, high stream in the foreground (“seg_high”).

Fig 3. Behavioral data, Study 1.

A) Percentages of exclusive integrated percept (bottom), exclusive segregated percept with both tones in the foreground (2nd from bottom), exclusive segregated percept with low tone in the foreground (2nd from top), exclusive segregated percept with high tone in the foreground (top). In the random condition, button assignments are arbitrary. B) Median dominance duration per participant and condition, mean and standard error of the mean (sem) across listeners. C) Coefficient of variation per listener; error bars depict mean and sem across listeners.

Fig 4. Pupil traces, Study 1.

Pupil diameter between 2 s before and 2 s after the button press, z-normalized and subtractively baseline-corrected to 0 mean between [-2 s and -1.8 s]; solid lines: mean, shaded areas: standard error of mean (sem). Colored segments denote periods in which pupil size is significantly different from 0 at an expected FDR of 0.05; adjusted alpha level is denoted on top of the segment.

Fig 5. Jackknifing analysis of pupil dilation, Study 1.

A) Jackknifed traces (19 per condition) and B) maximal amplitudes of the jackknifed traces.

Fig 6. Behavioral data, Study 2.

A) Percentages of exclusive integrated percept (bottom), exclusive segregated percept with both tones in the foreground (2nd from bottom), exclusive segregated percept with low tone in the foreground (2nd from top), exclusive segregated percept with high tone in the foreground (top). In the random condition, button assignments are arbitrary. B) Median dominance duration per participant and condition, mean and standard error of the mean (sem) across listeners. C) Coefficient of variation per listener; error bars depict mean and sem across listeners.

Fig 7. Pupil traces, Study 2.

Pupil diameter between 2 s before and 2 s after the button press, z-normalized and subtractively baseline-corrected to 0 mean between [-2 s and -1.8 s]; solid lines: mean, shaded areas: standard error of mean (sem). Colored segments denote periods in which pupil size is significantly different from 0 at an expected FDR of 0.05; adjusted alpha level is denoted on top of the segment.

Fig 8. Jackknifing analysis of pupil dilation, Study 2.

A) Jackknifed traces (19 per condition) and B) maximal amplitudes of the jackknifed traces.