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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
Insights
Infants can detect sound localization cues by 16 weeks old. Interaural arrival time is a more significant cue than interaural intensity for infant sound localization.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Auditory perception
- Infant cognition
Background:
- Sound localization is crucial for auditory scene analysis.
- Understanding early auditory development informs our knowledge of sensory integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate infant detection and use of sound localization cues.
- To assess the impact of interaural intensity and arrival time on infant responses.
Main Methods:
- Visual fixation paradigm with 8- and 16-week-old infants.
- Corneal reflection used to track eye movements and looking time.
- Independent manipulation of interaural intensity and arrival time cues.
Main Results:
- Neither age group exhibited appropriate directional eye movements.
- 16-week-olds showed increased looking time with binaural cue changes.
- 8-week-olds responded only to changes in interaural arrival time.
Conclusions:
- 16-week-old infants can detect both interaural intensity and arrival time cues.
- Interaural arrival time is a more salient cue for infant sound localization in this paradigm.
Abstract:
Infants 8 and 16 weeks old were tested in a visual fixation paradigm for the detection and use of sound localization cues. The effects of changes in both interaural intensity and interaural arrival time were assessed independently. For each trial, sounds were presented at the same time as visual displays located on both sides of the infant. The first eye movement and total looking time to each of the visual displays were noted by corneal reflection. Following a series of trials in which the apparent location of the sound was on 1 side, the apparent location was changed for a series of test trials. Neither age group responded with appropriate directional eye movements. The older infants did, however, show generally increased looking time on the test trials for both binaural cues. The 8-week-olds responded on test trials only when the interaural arrival time was changed. The data indicate that both binaural cues can be detected by 16-week-old infants although interaural arrival time was more salient in this paradigm.
