#Humanperception

A UC San Diego study shows that songbirds process expectations in a way that mirrors human speech perception. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the work reveals that peripheral sensory systems integrate expectations into auditory processing to preserve accurate environmental perception. The findings deepen our understanding of how the brain interprets complex sounds under changing conditions.

Humans routinely comprehend speech in noisy, variable environments. Lead author Tim Sainburg notes that listeners understand speech despite differences in voice and pronunciation. This adaptability stems from categorical perception, where the brain sorts diverse sounds into stable categories guided by context and expectations.