Lateralization Judgments and the Nature of Binaural Acoustic Images

Lateralization‐judgment trajectories with interaural time delay of acoustic images arising binaurally are reported for certain multicomponent signals such as multiple tones and repetitive transients. It is shown that certain multiple sound images simultaneously perceived may be independently lateralized and the characteristic judgment trajectories manipulated predictably in various ways. With repetitive binaural transients, the dominant, impulsive, image is shown to be accompanied by tonal images due to harmonics but it is argued that the impulsive image does not arise as a synthesis of the harmonic tonal images. High‐ and low‐pitched impulsive images appear to be related to individual acoustic transients and apparently arise by virtue of neural activity in two different regions of the cochlea.