The interaural level difference is the disparity in the intensity of a sound wave as it arrives at each ear. A sound originating from an off-center location will be more intense at the closer ear because the head obstructs and attenuates the sound wave before it can reach the farther ear.

Interaural Level Difference

The interaural timing difference refers to the small delay between the time a given sound wave arrives at one ear and the time it arrives at the other. This cue for sound localization arises because a sound from an off-center source must travel a slightly longer distance to reach the farther ear.

Interaural Timing Difference

Imagine you are standing in a field when a bird chirps directly to your left. Your brain is able to pinpoint the bird's location because the sound wave arrives at your left ear a fraction of a second before it reaches your right ear. This specific method of sound localization is an example of which auditory cue?

There are two types of binaural cues:
1. Interaural Level Difference
2. Interaural Timing Difference 

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Binaural cues are auditory signals that use information from both ears to determine the location of a sound, particularly along the horizontal axis. These cues function by detecting the subtle differences in the vibration patterns that a sound wave creates at each eardrum when a sound originates from an off-center location.

Binaural Cue

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Which of the following best describes the role of binaural cues in sound localization?

Types of Binaural Cues

Specific areas within the brain are responsible for monitoring and interpreting interaural level and timing differences. By analyzing these binaural cues, the brain constructs a representation of where a sound originates along the horizontal axis.

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