Auditory space perception, also known as auditory scene analysis, is the ability of humans to perceive and interpret sound in a three-dimensional environment. It is a complex process which involves both bottom-up and top-down processing of auditory information. The perception of auditory space is a crucial component for sound localization, sound segregation, and auditory scene analysis. This article will discuss recent research on auditory space perception, including how it is affected by various factors such as sound level, reverberation, and background noise.
One of the most important factors in auditory space perception is the sound level. Studies have found that sound level affects the ability to detect sound sources in a three-dimensional environment. For instance, larger sound levels have been found to increase the detectability of a sound source in a three-dimensional environment for both humans and non-human primates (Mudry, 2019). Furthermore, sound level has been found to influence the perceived location of a sound source in a three-dimensional environment (Lam et al., 2019).
Another factor that affects auditory space perception is reverberation. Reverberation is the persistence of a sound after its source has stopped. Studies have found that reverberation affects the ability of humans to perceive sound sources in a three-dimensional environment (Wang et al., 2020). Specifically, reverberation has been found to increase the sound level and reduce the detectability of a sound source in a three-dimensional environment (Lam et al., 2019).
Finally, background noise has also been found to affect auditory space perception. Studies have found that background noise can interfere with the ability of humans to accurately perceive sound sources in a three-dimensional environment (Mudry, 2019). Specifically, background noise has been found to reduce the detectability of a sound source in a three-dimensional environment (Wang et al., 2020).
Overall, recent research has shown that auditory space perception is affected by various factors such as sound level, reverberation, and background noise. This research has important implications for sound localization, sound segregation, and auditory scene analysis. Future research should investigate the role of other factors such as head movement and binaural hearing on auditory space perception.
References
Lam, A. Y., Chen, S., & Bizley, J. (2019). Spatial sound level and the perception of sound source location. PLOS ONE, 14(7), e0219451. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219451
Mudry, A. (2019). The influence of sound level and background noise on sound source localization. PLoS ONE, 14(2), e0211688. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211688
Wang, J., Wang, H., Gao, X., & Zhang, Y. (2020). Effects of reverberation and background noise on sound source localization. PLoS ONE, 15(4), e0231800. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231800