On the lateralization of the Huggins pitch
Peter Xinya Zhang, William M. Hartmann · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2002
The central activity pattern (CAP) model of Raatgever and Bilsen [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 80, 429–441 (1986)] correctly predicts that Huggins pitch (HP+) is lateralized in the center whereas HP− is lateralized to the left or the right. Experiments show that some listeners (left-eared listeners) always hear the pitch sensation on the left and others always hear it on the right. Still others can hear it on one side or the other. The CAP model also predicts that the laterality of HP− should follow a hyperbolic function of the boundary frequency. To test this prediction, laterality was measured in careful laterality estimation experiments, wherein HP− was combined with a set of interaural time differences (ITDs). Although laterality estimates followed predictions for finite (ITDs), on those trials where the ITD was zero the hyperbolic law was violated for five out of five listeners. Instead, the laterality of HP− was very insensitive to the boundary frequency over the range tested, 200 to 1000 Hz. A search for a satisfactory variation on the CAP model continues. [Work supported by the NIDCD under Grants Nos. DC00181 and DC00100.]