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Two determinants of localization acuity in the horizontal plane
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|August 1, 1978
Summary
Auditory localization models were extended beyond the frontal plane. Acuity depends on speaker span and angle, not just distance, for accurate sound localization.
Area of Science:
- Auditory perception
- Psychoacoustics
- Spatial hearing
Background:
- The Searle, Braida, Davis, and Colburn (1976) model describes auditory localization.
- This model's applicability was limited to the frontal horizontal plane.
- Extending the model to wider spatial regions requires re-evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the validity of the auditory localization model beyond the frontal horizontal plane.
- To investigate the angular and span dependencies of auditory acuity.
- To determine if average error is a useful metric for assessing localization accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted to collect auditory localization data.
- Data analysis focused on acuity independence of angle and span-specific unitary acuity.
- Direct experimental tests were used to validate assertions about angular size and speaker span.
Main Results:
- The assumption of acuity independent of angle was found to be invalid in extended regions.
- Error magnitude distribution was explained by span-specific unitary acuity.
- Speaker span's influence on acuity was experimentally confirmed.
Conclusions:
- Auditory acuity is not independent of angle in wider spatial regions.
- A comprehensive auditory localization model must account for both span and angular dependencies.
- Average error measurement is a promising technique for studying auditory localization.