ART. 337 - On the Perception of the Direction of Sound

Summary

The nature of the clue by which we are able to pronounce whether a sound of low pitch reaches us from the right or from the left was long a mystery, seeing that in such cases the difference of intensities at the two ears, used singly, is inappreciable. By some special laboratory experiments conducted about three years ago, I was able to show that the discrimination depends upon the phase-difference at the two ears, and that the sound is judged to be on that side where the phase is in advance. When the pitch is higher (much above g′) no distinct lateral effect accompanies a phase-difference, and the discrimination of right and left in ordinary hearing undoubtedly depends upon intensities. Commenting on these results, I remarked [p. 356]: “The conclusion, no longer to be resisted, that when a sound of low pitch reaches the two ears with approximately equal intensities, but with a phase-difference of a quarter of a period, we are able so easily to distinguish at which ear the phase is in advance, must have far-reaching consequences in the theory of audition. It seems no longer possible to hold that the vibratory character of sound terminates at the outer ends of the nerves along which the communication with the brain is established.