Duplex perception with musical stimuli: A further investigation

Abstract

Duplex perception, the simultaneous perception of a single stimulus in two phenomenologically distinct modes, was first observed, using musical stimuli, by Pastore et al. (1983). The present paper reports a two-part experiment designed to replicate and extend Pastore et al.'s study. Twenty subjects participated in both parts, the first of which was a modified replication of Pastore et al.'s Experiment 1, and the second of which was an extended replication in which the onset time of target notes was manipulated. As expected, in both parts of the study duplex perception was observed only when subjects were making musical judgments of dichotic stimuli; however, in the second part of the study, the prediction that duplex perception would be more likely to occur when target notes were on time as opposed to early or late was not supported. The overall incidence of duplex perception was lower than that reported by Pastore et al. Possible reasons for this discrepancy in findings are discussed. © 1985 Psychonomic Society, Inc.