Perception and recall of simultaneous speech stimuli

Abstract The paper describes a number of experiments on the perception and recall of simultaneous speech items presented dichotically or mixed together either binaurally or monaurally. Problems investigated are the reality and nature of the limit to the rate of shifting attention between the ears, the difference in the central representation of dichotic and mixed stimuli, the difficulty of alternating in perception between simulataneously presented items whether dichotic or binaural, and the possibility of parallel classification of simultaneous items belonging to different verbal categories. The results suggest some paradoxical conclusions whose clarification will require further research.