phantom words demonstrations (Diana Deutsch )

Subject: phantom words demonstrations From: Diana Deutsch <ddeutsch@xxxxxxxx> Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2014 15:16:17 -0700 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY> --Apple-Mail=_0F0C2684-C4DA-4740-9FD1-043072792A3E Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Dear Massimo, As Bruce mentioned, I do have =91Phantom Word=92 demonstrations on CD =96= one on my CD =91Musical Illusions and Paradoxes=94 and six more on my = CD =91Phantom Words, and Other Curiosities=94 (see my =93Phantom Words=94= page under =93Illusions and Research=94 in http://deutsch.ucsd.edu - = this contains a description of the phenomenon and also links to a number = of sound examples). The listener sits in front of two loudspeakers, with = one to the left and the other to the right. Each track contains two = words, or a single word composed of two syllables, and these are = repeated over and over. The same sequence is presented through both = speakers, but the tracks are offset in time so that when the first sound = (word or syllable) is coming from the speaker on the left the second = sound is coming from the speaker on the right, and vice versa. People = initially hear a jumble of meaningless sounds, but after a while = distinct words and phrases suddenly appear. The effect is often so vivid = that people may become convinced that different words and phrases have = been inserted into the track, despite my insistence to the contrary. As = I describe, =91phantom=92 words and phrases are often related to what = is on the listener=92s mind. I also describe and discuss this effect in = my blog for Psychology Today at = http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/illusions-and-curiosities/200906/phant= om-words In his book =93Rorschach Audio: Art and Illusion for Sound=94 = Joe Banks describes this effect and relates it to the visual Rorchach = test. Historically, I discovered this effect when I was exploring the = possibility of obtaining something like the octave illusion with verbal = material using headphones. This didn=92t work well, but I discovered by = chance that when the words and phrases were presented via loudspeakers = rather than headphones these striking illusions occurred. All best, Diana Professor Diana Deutsch Department of Psychology =20 University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Dr. #0109 =20 La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA 858-453-1558 (tel) 858-453-4763 (fax) http://deutsch.ucsd.edu http://www.philomel.com On Jun 18, 2014, at 2:38 AM, "Goldstein, E Bruce - (bruceg)" = <bruceg@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > Massimo: >=20 > Diana Deutsch has a CD that includes a "Phantom Word" demonstration = that sounds related to what you are describing. >=20 > Different words are perceived while listening to a repeating sound = pattern.=20 >=20 > I think what is heard is in the signal, but variations in perceptual = grouping over time causes different words to "appear." >=20 > E. Bruce Goldstein > Departments of Psychology > University of Arizona > University of Pittsburgh > ________________________________________ > From: AUDITORY - Research in Auditory Perception = [AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx on behalf of Massimo Grassi = [massimo.grassi@xxxxxxxx > Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2014 7:46 AM > To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx > Subject: Does anybody know a similar study? >=20 > Dear list members, >=20 > yesterday I colleague played me a sample (a sentence) of highly = degraded > speech. It was a recording made in a highly noisy environment. It > included speech (a conversation) that was hardly intelligible except = for > a few occasional words. >=20 > The colleague asked me to listen to the sample and pay attention = whether > I was able to spot a few target words. These words were not = intelligible > to me. >=20 > The colleague then selected a portion of the recording and played it = in > loop. That portion included (according to him) one target word. After = a > few loops I was able to "perceive" the word. >=20 > This is exactly the problem. I'm wandering whether it was just a > suggestion due to the repeated listening of an ambiguous auditory > signal. A kid of auditory Rorschach test: there seem to be nothing at > the beginning but if you keep listening you can hear whatever you = like. >=20 > Is there anybody out there that is aware of studies that investigated > whether listening in loop to an ambiguous signal can lead to hear = things > that are not in the signal? >=20 > I didn't find anything yet. >=20 > Thank you all in advance, > m >=20 > -- > http://www.psy.unipd.it/~grassi/ > http://www.springer.com/978-1-4614-2196-2 --Apple-Mail=_0F0C2684-C4DA-4740-9FD1-043072792A3E Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 <html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html = charset=3Dwindows-1252"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; = -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>    <p class=3D"MsoNormal">Dear = Massimo,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>As Bruce = mentioned, I do have =91Phantom Word=92 demonstrations on CD =96 one on my CD =91Musical Illusions and Paradoxes=94 and six = more on my CD =91Phantom Words, and Other Curiosities=94 (see  my =93Phantom = Words=94 page under =93Illusions and Research=94 in  <a = href=3D"http://deutsch.ucsd.edu">http://deutsch.ucsd.edu</a>  - = this contains a description of the phenomenon and also links to a number of sound examples). The listener = sits in front of two loudspeakers, with one to the left and the other to the = right. Each track contains two words, or a single word composed of two = syllables, and these are repeated over and over. The same sequence is presented through = both speakers, but the tracks are offset in time so that when the first sound = (word or syllable) is coming from the speaker on the left the second sound is = coming from the speaker on the right, and vice versa. People initially hear a = jumble of meaningless sounds, but after a while distinct words and phrases = suddenly appear. The effect is often so vivid that people may become convinced that = different words and phrases have been inserted into the track, despite my = insistence to the contrary. As I describe,  =91phantom=92 words and phrases are often related to what is on the listener=92s = mind.  I also describe and discuss this effect in my blog for Psychology Today at <a = href=3D"http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/illusions-and-curiosities/2009= 06/phantom-words">http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/illusions-and-curios= ities/200906/phantom-words</a>  In his book =93Rorschach Audio: Art = and Illusion for Sound=94 Joe Banks describes this effect and relates it to = the visual Rorchach test.</p><p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p = class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Historically, I discovered this = effect when I was exploring the possibility of obtaining something like the octave illusion with = verbal material using headphones. This didn=92t work well, but I discovered by = chance that when the words and phrases were presented via loudspeakers rather = than headphones these striking illusions occurred.</p><p = class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p = class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>All best,</p><p = class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p = class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Diana</p><p = class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> </div><div><div>Professor Diana = Deutsch</div><div>Department of Psychology        =                 =   </div><div>University of California, San = Diego</div><div>9500 Gilman Dr. #0109          =   </div><div>La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA</div><div><br = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div>858-453-1558 = (tel)</div><div>858-453-4763 (fax)</div><div><br = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div><a = href=3D"http://deutsch.ucsd.edu">http://deutsch.ucsd.edu</a></div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.philomel.com">http://www.philomel.com</a></div><div = style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><br = class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></div></div><br><div><div>On Jun 18, = 2014, at 2:38 AM, "Goldstein, E Bruce - (bruceg)" <<a = href=3D"mailto:bruceg@xxxxxxxx">bruceg@xxxxxxxx</a>> = wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite">Massimo:<br><br>Diana Deutsch has a CD that includes a = "Phantom Word" demonstration that sounds related to what you are = describing.<br><br>Different words are perceived while listening to a = repeating sound pattern. <br><br>I think what is heard is in the signal, = but variations in perceptual grouping over time causes different words = to "appear."<br><br>E. Bruce Goldstein<br>Departments of = Psychology<br>University of Arizona<br>University of = Pittsburgh<br>________________________________________<br>From: AUDITORY = - Research in Auditory Perception [<a = href=3D"mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx">AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx</a>] = on behalf of Massimo Grassi [<a = href=3D"mailto:massimo.grassi@xxxxxxxx">massimo.grassi@xxxxxxxx</a>]<br>Se= nt: Tuesday, June 17, 2014 7:46 AM<br>To: <a = href=3D"mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx">AUDITORY@xxxxxxxx</a><br>S= ubject: Does anybody know a similar study?<br><br>Dear list = members,<br><br>yesterday I colleague played me a sample (a sentence) of = highly degraded<br>speech. It was a recording made in a highly noisy = environment. It<br>included speech (a conversation) that was hardly = intelligible except for<br>a few occasional words.<br><br>The colleague = asked me to listen to the sample and pay attention whether<br>I was able = to spot a few target words. These words were not intelligible<br>to = me.<br><br>The colleague then selected a portion of the recording and = played it in<br>loop. That portion included (according to him) one = target word. After a<br>few loops I was able to "perceive" the = word.<br><br>This is exactly the problem. I'm wandering whether it was = just a<br>suggestion due to the repeated listening of an ambiguous = auditory<br>signal. A kid of auditory Rorschach test: there seem to be = nothing at<br>the beginning but if you keep listening you can hear = whatever you like.<br><br>Is there anybody out there that is aware of = studies that investigated<br>whether listening in loop to an ambiguous = signal can lead to hear things<br>that are not in the signal?<br><br>I = didn't find anything yet.<br><br>Thank you all in = advance,<br>m<br><br>--<br><a = href=3D"http://www.psy.unipd.it/~grassi/">http://www.psy.unipd.it/~grassi/= </a><br>http://www.springer.com/978-1-4614-2196-2<br></blockquote></div><b= r><div apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; = border-spacing: 0px; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span></span></div></body></htm= l>= --Apple-Mail=_0F0C2684-C4DA-4740-9FD1-043072792A3E--

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