Spatial mapping of two-dimensional sound patterns presented sequentially.
Man's spatial perception was investigated on the basis of acoustic input in the extrapersonal frame of reference. Sounds from a two-dimensional loudspeaker array outlined sequentially the contours of various digits. The underlying mechanisms involved in this auditory-spatial task were analyzed according to alterations in the vertical and horizontal spread of the patterns. The results demonstrated that two-dimensional sound patterns are identified mainly but not only on the basis of their horizontal spread. Differences between visual and auditory pattern perception are discussed in the context of supramodal spatial functions, and the present findings are linked to their neuropsychological application.
D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D005863:Gestalt Theory; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013017:Sound Localization