The Psychophysics of Pitch

Abstract

Pitch is a perceptual, rather than a physical, variable. It follows that pitch processing in the auditory system can be understood only by reference to our perceptions. This chapter provides an overview of human psychophysical research on stimuli that elicit a pitch percept. The results are discussed with reference to various theoretical positions that have been taken over the years. When developing a model of pitch perception, or when identifying a cell type or brain region that may be involved in pitch perception, it is important to ensure that the results are consistent with the wide range of psychophysical observations, and not to focus on a single property of pitch that may provide an easy solution. With this in mind, the chapter emphasizes the diversity of pitch phenomena.