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Auditory spatial pattern perception aided by visual choices

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Summary

Thirty-six human subjects, facing a panel of 100 loud-speakers, were requested to match sounds outlining geometrical and alphabetical patterns with visual pattern choices, which were given to them on a folder. The listeners' correct responses were found to be above chance. Geometrical patterns were better perceived when transmitted at the sound frequency of 800 cps as compared to 6400 cps. The number of visual pattern choices given with the sound pattern presentations affected the number of correct responses. The results indicate that the perception of acoustic spatial patterns depends on mechanisms different from those defining the spatial localization of single acoustic signals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuropsychological Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University of Zürich, Vogelsangstrasse 52, CH-8006, Zürich, Switzerland

    Ronald M. Ruff & Etienne Perret

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  1. Ronald M. Ruff
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  2. Etienne Perret
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Additional information

This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, Grants 3.74.68, 4.0120.70 and 4.0860.73 to E. Perret.

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Ruff, R.M., Perret, E. Auditory spatial pattern perception aided by visual choices. Psychol. Res 38, 369–377 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00309042

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00309042

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