Abstract
In a typical auditory scene, sounds from different sources and reflective surfaces summate in the ears, causing spatial cues to fluctuate. Prevailing hypotheses of how spatial locations may be encoded and represented across auditory neurons generally disregard these fluctuations and must therefore invoke additional mechanisms for detecting and representing them. Here, we consider a different hypothesis in which spatial perception corresponds to an intermediate or sub-maximal firing probability across spatially selective neurons within each hemisphere. The precedence or Haas effect presents an ideal opportunity for examining this hypothesis, since the temporal superposition of an acoustical reflection with sounds arriving directly from a source can cause otherwise stable cues to fluctuate. Our findings suggest that subjects’ experiences may simply reflect the spatial cues that momentarily arise under various acoustical conditions and how these cues are represented. We further suggest that auditory objects may acquire “edges” under conditions when interaural time differences are broadly distributed.
Highlights
Prevailing hypotheses of how spatial locations may be encoded and represented across auditory neurons [1,2,3,4,5] have generally focused on conditions when frequency-specific binaural cues, such as interaural time and level differences (ITD and ILD), are stable over time
When identical noise-pairs were presented at a delay of 0-ms (Fig 2A–2D, 2M and 2N, filled circles), the stimuli are diotic and listeners nearly always indicated a single image on the upper arc
When the stimuli were independent, an additional image was indicated on the second arc, especially when the stimuli were 200 ms (Fig 2B)
Summary
Prevailing hypotheses of how spatial locations may be encoded and represented across auditory neurons [1,2,3,4,5] have generally focused on conditions when frequency-specific binaural cues, such as interaural time and level differences (ITD and ILD), are stable over time (i.e., coherent). Such conditions can be achieved, for instance, by presenting sounds from a single source in an anechoic chamber. While one might infer that the spread of this image provides
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
