On cross-modal similarity: the perceptual structure of pitch, loudness, and brightness.
Examined how pitch and loudness correspond to brightness. In the Experiment 1, 16 Ss identified which of 2 lights more resembled each of 16 tones; in Experiment 2, 8 of the same 16 Ss rated the similarity of lights to lights, tones to tones, and lights to tones. (1) Pitch and loudness both contributed to cross-modal similarity, but for most Ss pitch contributed more. (2) Individuals differed as to whether pitch or loudness contributed more; these differences were consistent across matching and similarity scaling. (3) Cross-modal similarity depended largely on relative stimulus values. (4) Multidimensional scaling revealed 2 perceptual dimensions, loudness and pitch, with brightness common to both. A simple quantitative model can describe the cross-modal comparisons, compatible with the view that perceptual similarity may be characterized through a malleable spatial representation that is multimodal as well as multidimensional.
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John B. Pierce Foundation Laboratory, New Haven, Connecticut 06519.
D001288:Attention; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008144:Loudness Perception; D010897:Pitch Discrimination; D011601:Psychophysics; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D014796:Visual Perception