Differential effects of spatial and feature-based attention on auditory target detection

This study investigated how different modes of auditory attention—spatialversus feature-based—affect the characteristics of target sound detection. While both are known to enhance perception, their distinct impacts on detection processes remain unclear. Participants performed a yes/no detection task under three counterbalanced conditions. In the Spatial condition, they detected any sound from a cued location. In the Feature condition, they detected a specific target sound regardless of location. In the Combined condition, they detected the specific sound from the cued location. A linear mixed-effects model revealed significant main effects and interactions: RTs increased with more distractors, with the Combined condition yielding the slowest responses and the Feature condition the fastest. Signal detection analysis showed a significant effect of condition on d′, with higher sensitivity in the Combined than the Spatial condition. For the decision criterion, participants in the Feature and Combined conditions adopted more cautious criteria compared to the Spatial condition, which hovered around neutral. These results suggest that feature-based attention facilitates faster detection and stricter decision thresholds, whereas the Combined condition, despite greater sensitivity, imposes a higher cognitive cost, resulting in slower responses.