Constructing and disrupting listeners' models of auditory space

Area of Science:

• Auditory perception
• Acoustics
• Psychoacoustics

Background:

• Distinguishing direct sound from reflections is crucial in reverberant environments.
• The auditory system's ability to recognize reflections is dynamic and adaptable.
• The precedence effect relies on the fusion of direct and delayed sounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how ongoing auditory input influences the fusion of direct and delayed sounds.
• To determine if alternating stimuli simulating different reflecting surfaces can disrupt fusion.
• To examine the effect of disruption duration on the breakdown of the precedence effect.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments were conducted using auditory stimuli.
• Stimuli were presented in alternation to simulate changing reflecting surfaces.
• The duration of aberrant sound configurations was systematically varied.

Main Results:

• Ongoing auditory input can prevent or disrupt the fusion necessary for the precedence effect.
• Alternating stimuli simulating different reflections can disrupt fusion buildup.
• A lengthy disruption of fusion leads to the breakdown of the precedence effect, confirming previous findings on brief disruptions.

Conclusions:

• The fusion process in the precedence effect is malleable and susceptible to disruption by changing acoustic conditions.
• The duration of acoustic changes is critical in determining whether fusion is disrupted or maintained.
• Understanding these mechanisms is key to explaining auditory perception in complex acoustic environments.