Development of Binaural and Spatial Hearing

Abstract

(from the chapter) In this chapter, we review recent trends in research on development of auditory localization in humans. /// The primary focus is on 3 specific issues. First, we discuss sensitivity to interaural sound localization cues. Recent work has shown that sensitivity to interaural cues is well developed during early infancy, in contrast to sound localization in free field, which matures relatively slowly. The implications of this discrepancy are discussed. Second, recent studies, which have utilized infants' reaching behavior in the dark to measure distance perception, have shown that infants are capable of discriminating distance by 6 mo of age. We discuss which cues may be relevant to infants for this task. Finally, developmental changes in the precedence effect (a sound localization phenomenon related to suppression of echoes) are reviewed. The precedence effect develops slowly during infancy and childhood, and to the extent that it may reflect integrity of central auditory processing, it may be useful for detection of auditory deficits. /// A general theme evident in this review is that developmental work, like work with adults and lab animals, shows sound localization to be very much an active, constructive process on the part of the listener.