PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Teresa Shivers

Industrial/Organizational
August 1991

Effect of Stimulus Frequency on Auditory Apparent Motion in Vertical Space
 

    This study investigated whether auditory apparent motion could be perceived in vertical space from the presentation of pure tones differing in frequency alone.  Listeners’ tonal discrimination abilities were also examined with relation to apparent motion perception.  Independent variables included ISOI, frequency difference between tones, and speaker location.  Subjects listened to tonal pairs, indicated whether continuous motion was perceived and identified either direction of motion or temporal sequence of stimuli.  Motion was perceived at all comparison frequencies across speaker locations and ISOIs.  Significant main effects indicated the direction of frequency difference between tones determined the direction of motion perceived.  Significant interaction effects revealed higher percentages of correct location responses hinged on actual speaker location being congruent with the direction of frequency differentials and on the length of ISOIs.  These results support previous research which suggests pure tones have intrinsic spatial characteristics.  Tonal discrimination ability and apparent motion perception were statistically unrelated.

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