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Steps in loudness summation
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|March 1, 1985
Summary
Binaural loudness summation depends on the interaural phase of tones. Experiments revealed loudness summation changes around a specific phase angle, influenced by tone frequency and the Hornbostel-Wertheimer constant.
Area of Science:
- Acoustics
- Psychoacoustics
- Auditory Perception
Background:
- Binaural loudness summation is a phenomenon where sound perceived as louder when heard with two ears compared to one.
- The influence of interaural phase on this summation is crucial for understanding auditory spatial processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how binaural loudness summation varies with the interaural phase of tones.
- To determine the relationship between tone frequency, interaural phase, and perceived loudness.
Main Methods:
- A loudness-matching procedure was employed with human observers.
- Monaural-binaural and binaural-binaural alternating tone pairs were used.
- Interaural phase angles were systematically varied across a range of +/- 177 degrees.
Main Results:
- Loudness summation showed distinct steps of approximately 3 dB near a critical phase angle (theta t).
- This critical phase angle was dependent on tone frequency, following specific mathematical relations.
- Observed spatial relationships and relative loudness covaried complexly with phase, showing qualitative shifts near theta t.
Conclusions:
- Binaural loudness summation is significantly modulated by interaural phase, particularly around a frequency-dependent critical angle.
- These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of auditory spatial perception and loudness integration mechanisms.