Sound Design Psychoacoustics and Sound Perception 2

Question 1

Binaural hearing primarily refers to:

Accepted Answer

Using both ears together to localize the direction and distance of sound sources

Answer

Binaural hearing uses both ears and the interaural time and level differences (ITD and ILD) between them to determine the spatial position of sound sources.

Question 2

Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) describe:

Accepted Answer

How sound is modified by the head, ears, and torso before reaching the eardrums

Answer

HRTFs are filters characterizing how the outer ear (pinna), head, and torso shape incoming sounds, providing the spatial cues the brain uses to localize sound.

Question 3

The 'cocktail party effect' refers to the auditory system's ability to:

Accepted Answer

Selectively focus on one conversation while filtering out background noise

Answer

The cocktail party effect describes selective auditory attention — the brain's ability to focus on one voice or instrument among many competing sound sources.

Question 4

What is auditory fatigue?

Accepted Answer

A temporary reduction in hearing sensitivity after exposure to loud sounds

Answer

Auditory fatigue is a temporary threshold shift — a reversible reduction in hearing sensitivity caused by sustained loud sound exposure, which recovers with rest.

Question 5

In psychoacoustics, 'critical bandwidth' refers to:

Accepted Answer

The frequency range within which two tones interact and mask each other in the cochlea

Answer

Critical bandwidth corresponds to frequency processing regions (critical bands) in the cochlea where tones compete and mask each other perceptually.

Sound Design Practice Test

Sound Design Practice Test

Sound Design Psychoacoustics and Sound Perception 2