psychology

Psychoacoustics & Hearing Science

The science of hearing perception — equal-loudness contour mapping, auditory masking effects, pitch perception models, binaural sound localization, and absolute hearing threshold curves.

psychoacousticshearingloudnessmaskingpitch perceptionbinauralauditory threshold

Psychoacoustics bridges physics and psychology, studying how the human auditory system perceives sound. Our ears do not respond linearly to frequency or amplitude — loudness depends on frequency, nearby sounds can mask each other, and our brain uses interaural differences to pinpoint sound sources in three-dimensional space.

These simulations let you explore equal-loudness contours (Fletcher-Munson curves), visualize auditory masking phenomena, model pitch perception across the basilar membrane, simulate binaural localization using interaural time and level differences, and map absolute hearing thresholds — all with interactive controls grounded in published audiological research.

5 interactive simulations

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Binaural Sound Localization

Simulate binaural sound localization — explore how interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD) enable the brain to determine sound source direction

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Equal-Loudness Contours (Fletcher-Munson)

Simulate equal-loudness contours — explore how the human ear perceives loudness differently across frequency and how phon curves shape audio engineering

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Hearing Threshold & Audiogram

Simulate absolute hearing thresholds — explore how the ear's sensitivity varies with frequency and how age, noise exposure, and hearing conditions affect the audiogram

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Auditory Masking & Critical Bands

Simulate auditory masking — explore how a louder masker tone renders nearby frequencies inaudible and how critical bandwidth shapes perceptual audio coding

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Pitch Perception & Basilar Membrane

Simulate pitch perception — explore how frequency maps to perceived pitch through the basilar membrane's tonotopic organization, mel scale, and place-rate theory