Tuning in: can humans use auditory cues for spatial reorientation?

ABSTRACT The bulk of the research in spatial reorientation has studied how visual cues guide behavior. This project aims to explore the role of auditory cues. Using a find-and-replace paradigm in a circular search space, blindfolded sighted participants were able to reorient successfully using only auditory landmarks, albeit with errors larger than those found in visual-based reorientation. Importantly, for the first time, it was found that people encoded an ambiguous cue in addition to the certain cue, even though it was unnecessary and insufficient for solving the task. Results are discussed in the context of the resistance to using auditory cues spontaneously and the theory of functional equivalence.