Abstract
How perceptual limits can be reduced has long been examined by psychologists. This study investigated whether visual cues, blindfolding, visual-auditory synesthetic experience, and musical training could facilitate a smaller frequency difference limen (FDL) in a gliding frequency discrimination test. Ninety university students, with no visual or auditory impairment, were recruited for this one-between (blindfolded/visual cues) and one-within (control/experimental session) designed study. Their FDLs were tested by an alternative forced-choice task (gliding upwards/gliding downwards/no change) and two questionnaires (Vividness of Mental Imagery Questionnaire and Projector–Associator Test) were used to assess their tendency to synesthesia. The participants provided with visual cues and with musical training showed a significantly smaller FDL; on the other hand, being blindfolded or having a synesthetic experience before could not significantly reduce the FDL. However, no pattern was found between the perception of the gliding upwards and gliding downwards frequencies. Overall, the current study suggests that the inter-sensory perception can be enhanced through the training and facilitation of visual–auditory interaction under the multiple resource model. Future studies are recommended in order to verify the effects of music practice on auditory percepts, and the different mechanisms between perceiving gliding upwards and downwards frequencies.
Highlights
Humans can listen to and detect a variety of sounds under different conditions
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of visual cues, blindfolding, synesthetic experience, and musical training on behavioral frequency difference limen (FDL)
Extreme outliers of FDL in each variable were screened out before the analysis. They were defined as Q1 − 3 * interquartile range (IQR) or Q3 + 3 * IQR
Summary
Humans can listen to and detect a variety of sounds under different conditions. To be specific, a normal human behavioral frequency difference limen (FDL), which is the just noticeable difference in hearing, is 1.22% to 4.02% in 140 Hz, and 0.25% to 2.50% between the frequency of 80–400 Hz [1,2].the FDL measured by the electrical frequency-following response emanating directly from the brainstem neurons is even smaller (75%) than the behavioral FDL [1]. Humans can listen to and detect a variety of sounds under different conditions. A normal human behavioral frequency difference limen (FDL), which is the just noticeable difference in hearing, is 1.22% to 4.02% in 140 Hz, and 0.25% to 2.50% between the frequency of 80–400 Hz [1,2]. The FDL measured by the electrical frequency-following response emanating directly from the brainstem neurons is even smaller (75%) than the behavioral FDL [1]. FDL might vary from person to person, and the brainstem can detect a smaller FDL than the behavioral perception. It would be interesting to investigate the factors for these discrepancies, and to find methods to improve the behavioral perception.
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