Chapter 10 - Auditory Spatial Layout

Abstract

This chapter discusses the peculiarities of acoustical stimuli and how they are received by the human auditory system. A distinction is made between the ambient sound field and the effective stimulus to differentiate the perceptual distinctions among various simple classes of sound sources from the known perceptual consequences of the linear transformations of the sound wave from the source to receiver. It deals with the definition of an auditory object, specifically the question of how the various components of a sound stream become segregated into distinct auditory objects. The chapter also focuses on issues related to the spatial layout of auditory objects. Stationary objects are considered first. The spatial layout of moving auditory objects and a detailed treatment of the acoustics of moving sound sources are also presented in the chapter. A distinction between source movement and observer movement is made to draw attention to the possible role of proprioceptive feedback in the perception of auditory spatial layout. The chapter concludes with a brief treatment of experimental evidence on the importance of input from other senses in establishing auditory spatial layout.