Binaural models and the strength of dichotic pitches.

Abstract

Modern physiologically based models of the binaural system incorporate internal delay lines in the pathways from left and right peripheries to central processing nuclei. Different binaural models for the formation of dichotic pitch employ these delay lines in different ways. Consequently, the different models make different predictions for the relative strengths of dichotic pitches made with particular phase conditions. The differences are magnified for dichotic pitches at low frequencies where especially long delay lines may be required. Data from four low-frequency pitch strength experiments on pure-tone-like dichotic pitches (two on Huggins pitch and two on binaural coherence edge pitch) are consistent with models of the equalization-cancellation type and not consistent with the central activity pattern model.