Subject: Re: mappings From: Al Bregman <bregman(at)HEBB.PSYCH.MCGILL.CA> Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 23:57:14 -0500Dear Bruce: When people are asked to judge the vertical position of invisible sound sources, the higher pitched the source, the higher they judge its origin to be. We used this phenomenon in a study of the effects of grouping on localization some years ago. The sounds were actually presented over acoustically transparent headphones, and the listeners were fooled into thinking they came from "out there". Bregman A.S., & Steiger, H. (1980) Auditory streaming and vertical localization: Interdependence of "what" and "where" decisions in audition. Perception and Psychophysics, 28, 539-546. The phenomenon has been known for some time. The article gives some of the references. The effect may be due to the effects of higher and lower tones on the mechanisms for vertical localization. So the high/low metaphor may have a physiological basis. Best, Al ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Albert S. Bregman, Professor, Dept of Psychology, McGill University 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1. Phone: +1 514-398-6103 Fax: -4896 Email: bregman(at)hebb.psych.mcgill.ca Lab Web Page: http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/labs/auditory/laboratory.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------