Estimating the Magnitude and Variability of Auditory Sensory Attenuation in an Online Study

Sensory attenuation (SA) refers to the observation that self-generated sensory input is often perceived as less intense than externally generated sensory input. This simple psychological phenomenon has been studied extensively in different sensory modalities. Recent empirical work suggests that SA provides a window into predictive processing of the sensory and cognitive apparatus, and thus may allow to study the core mechanisms underlying human perception and behavior. First, we aim to estimate the magnitude and variability of auditory SA in an online sample. Second, we aim to examine the influence of motor identity predictors versus non-motor identity predictors by means of varying cue-sound combinations. Moreover, recent studies suggest that sensory attenuation effects increase with age. Participants (N=200) with normal hearing will be recruited via PsychLab, and grouped into two groups, based on their age (18-39, 40+). Participants will compare the volume of two consecutive tones. SA will be manipulated by motor behavior (active versus passive) and the congruency of pre-learned cue-sound combinations (congruent versus incongruent).