Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Hearing

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by...

Auditory Perception

Auditory Perception

The auditory system is essential for sound perception, utilizing various critical structures. When sound waves enter the outer ear, they travel through the ear canal and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear, where three tiny bones – the malleus, incus, and stapes – amplify the sound. This amplification is crucial, as it ensures that the sound vibrations are strong enough to be conveyed to the inner ear. These vibrations then reach the...

Perception of Sound Waves

Perception of Sound Waves

The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Impact of Brief Training on Spatial Hearing and Motion Perception While Wearing Hearing Protection.

Military medicine·2026

Same author

Brief training can reduce spatial hearing deficits when wearing hearing protection.

Journal of neurophysiology·2026

Same author

Myelin sheaths persist for weeks following axon degeneration.

Science advances·2026

Same author

Retraction notice to "Analytical and numerical modeling of the hearing system: Advances towards the assessment of hearing damage" [Hearing Research 349 (2017) 111-128].

Hearing research·2025

Same author

Discrimination of Radiologists' Experience Level Using Eye-Tracking Technology and Machine Learning: Case Study.

JMIR formative research·2025

Same author

Transient Upregulation of Procaspase-3 during Oligodendrocyte Fate Decisions.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Development of an Audio-based Virtual Gaming Environment to Assist with Navigation Skills in the Blind

Development of an Audio-based Virtual Gaming Environment to Assist with Navigation Skills in the Blind

Published on: March 27, 2013

Training to Improve Spatial Hearing and Situation Awareness when Wearing Hearing Protection.

Edward J Golob¹, Jeremy T Nelson², Jacek A Walasek¹

¹Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78258, USA.

Military Medicine

|September 16, 2023

Summary

Brief training significantly improved spatial hearing and situation awareness for individuals wearing hearing protection devices (HPDs). This training can help increase HPD compliance by reducing auditory deficits.

More Related Videos

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Published on: January 25, 2016

Assessment of Audio-Tactile Sensory Substitution Training in Participants with Profound Deafness Using the Event-Related Potential Technique

Assessment of Audio-Tactile Sensory Substitution Training in Participants with Profound Deafness Using the Event-Related Potential Technique

Published on: September 7, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Development of an Audio-based Virtual Gaming Environment to Assist with Navigation Skills in the Blind

Development of an Audio-based Virtual Gaming Environment to Assist with Navigation Skills in the Blind

Published on: March 27, 2013

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Published on: January 25, 2016

Assessment of Audio-Tactile Sensory Substitution Training in Participants with Profound Deafness Using the Event-Related Potential Technique

Assessment of Audio-Tactile Sensory Substitution Training in Participants with Profound Deafness Using the Event-Related Potential Technique

Published on: September 7, 2022

Area of Science:

Auditory Neuroscience
Human Factors Engineering
Military Medicine

Background:

Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are crucial in military settings but often reduce spatial hearing and situation awareness, leading to poor compliance.
Investigating methods to mitigate these auditory deficits is essential for improving safety and effectiveness in noisy environments.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine if brief training can counteract spatial hearing deficits induced by wearing HPDs.
To assess the impact of training on situation awareness and HPD compliance.
To examine the consistency of proper HPD application among participants.

Main Methods:

Young adults were randomly assigned to a training or control group.
Participants performed a spatial hearing task (sound localization) with and without HPDs.
The training group received auditory and visual feedback during HPD use on intermediate days.

Main Results:

Wearing HPDs significantly increased localization errors and impaired spatial hearing compared to open ear conditions.
The training group demonstrated significant improvements in spatial hearing and reduced localization errors after the intervention.
While the control group also showed some improvement, the training group's gains were more substantial.

Conclusions:

Brief practice and training can significantly reduce the negative effects of HPDs on spatial hearing and situation awareness.
These findings support the development of simple training methods to enhance HPD compliance.
A subset of users demonstrated improper HPD application, indicating a need for training on correct usage.