Neural sensitivity to human voices: ERP evidence of task and attentional influences.

Full Abstract

In an earlier study, we found that human voices evoked a positive event-related potential (ERP) peaking at approximately 320 ms after stimulus onset, distinctive from those elicited by instrumental tones. Here we show that though similar in latency to the Novelty P3, this Voice-Sensitive Response (VSR) differs in antecedent conditions and scalp distribution. Furthermore, when participants were not attending to stimuli, the response to voices was undistinguished from other harmonic stimuli (strings, winds, and brass). During a task requiring attending to a feature other than timbre, voices were not distinguished from voicelike stimuli (strings), but were distinguished from other harmonic stimuli. We suggest that the component elicited by voices and similar sounds reflects the allocation of attention on the basis of stimulus significance (as opposed to novelty), and propose an explanation of the task and attentional factors that contribute to the effect.

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Author information

Author/s: Levy, Daniel A (DA); Granot, Roni (R); Bentin, Shlomo (S);

Affiliation: Institute for Cognitive Studies, Bron, France.

Grants: NICHD 01994 (Agency:NICHD NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Psychophysiology (Psychophysiology), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Mar; vol 40 (issue 2) : pp 291-305

Dates: Created 2003/06/24; Completed 2003/07/21; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12820870, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Evoked Potentials - physiology
Female
Humans
Male
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Voice

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