Some Considerations on Binaural Fusion Phenomenon

• Published in: AUDIOLOGY JAPAN Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 79 - 90
• Main Authors: Sato, Tsunemasa, Shitara, Tetsuya, Tomisawa, Masao, Kirikae, Ichiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Audiological Society 1970
• ISSN: 0303-8106; 1883-7301
• DOI: 10.4295/audiology.13.79

The binaural fusion phenomenon was discussed in relation with the formation of sound image, binaural masking, binaural hearing test using synthetic vowels and binaural speech hearing test. It became evident that sound image was able to recognize by using two filtered pulses binaurally and the sharpness of sound image effected according to both frequency and intensity of these two pulses. The recruitment phenomenon or hobble phenomenon was observed according to the frequency ranges of two filtered pulses on the binaural masking phenomenon (provisional name). The real summation of binaural hearing was noted particularly in the area of /e/, when F1 and F2 components of synthetic vowels were used separately in each ear. The inhibition phenomenon through the other ear was recognized more frequently by using time distorted speech than frequency distorted speech. To summarize our interpretation of the results, we can estimate that there is a large difference in the central nervous mechanisms of binaural fusion phenomenon between time distorted speech and frequency distorted speech.