Auditory Multi-Stability: Idiosyncratic Perceptual Switching Patterns, Executive Functions and Personality Traits

Multi-stability refers to the phenomenon of perception stochastically switching between possible interpretations of an unchanging stimulus. Despite considerable variability, individuals show stable idiosyncratic patterns of switching between alternative perceptions in the auditory streaming paradigm. We explored correlates of the individual switching patterns with executive functions, personality traits, and creativity. The main dimensions on which individual switching patterns differed from each other were identified using multidimensional scaling. Individuals with high scores on the dimension explaining the largest portion of the inter-individual variance switched more often between the alternative perceptions than those with low scores. They also perceived the most unusual interpretation more often, and experienced all perceptual alternatives with a shorter delay from stimulus onset. The ego-resiliency personality trait, which reflects a tendency for adaptive flexibility and experience seeking, was significantly positively related to this dimension. Taking these results together we suggest that this dimension may reflect the individual’s tendency for exploring the auditory environment. Executive functions were significantly related to some of the variables describing global properties of the switching patterns, such as the average number of switches. Thus individual patterns of perceptual switching in the auditory streaming paradigm are related to some personality traits and executive functions.多稳态（Multi-stability）是指个体面对恒定不变的刺激时，感知会在多种可能的解读之间随机切换的现象。尽管个体间存在显著差异，但在听觉流范式（auditory streaming paradigm）中，个体在不同感知间的切换模式仍展现出稳定的个体化特征。本研究探讨了个体切换模式与执行功能、人格特质及创造力之间的关联。研究通过多维尺度分析（multidimensional scaling），识别出了个体切换模式之间存在差异的核心维度。在解释个体间差异占比最大的维度上得分较高的个体，相较于得分较低者，会更频繁地在不同感知间进行切换；同时，这类个体更常感知到最不寻常的解读，且从刺激呈现到感知到所有备选感知的延迟更短。反映适应性灵活性与探索倾向的自我弹性（ego-resiliency）人格特质，与该维度呈显著正相关关系。综合上述研究结果，我们认为该维度可反映个体探索听觉环境的倾向。执行功能与描述切换模式全局特征的部分变量（如平均切换次数）呈显著相关。因此，在听觉流范式下的个体感知切换模式，与部分人格特质及执行功能存在关联。