Question

Our capacity to detect whether a high-frequency sound comes from our left or right reflects an analysis of?

1) the fundamental overtones.
2) a sonic shadow that reflects differences in loudness (loudness is greater in the ear closest to the sound)
3) differences in arrival times at the eardrums.
4) differences in sound phase.
5) differences in frequency overtones reaching the ears

Answer 1

Binaural cues such as interaural level differences and interaural timing differences allow us to discern the direction of high-frequency sounds to the left or right by analyzing the loudness and arrival times at our eardrums.

Step-by-step explanation:

Our capacity to detect whether a high-frequency sound comes from our left or right reflects an analysis of binaural cues, specifically interaural level differences and interaural timing differences. The interaural level difference refers to the variation in loudness of the sound between the two ears because the head creates a sonic shadow, making the sound louder in the ear closest to the source. The interaural timing difference is the slight delay in the arrival times at the eardrums, with the sound arriving sooner at the ear closer to the sound source. These cues are analyzed by our auditory system to construct the perception of where along the horizontal axis a sound originates.