Many of us are familiar with visual illusions, but have you ever considered illusions of the ear? This lesson explores various auditory illusions that highlight the brain’s interpretation of sound and how it can be influenced by visuals, language, and geography.
The McGurk Effect is an auditory illusion that shows how our visuals can alter what we believe we’re hearing. For example, watching a video of someone saying “Barbarbarbar” while hearing “Far far far” due to the visual cues of their mouth movements.
In another example, a flashing circle appears to flash twice when paired with a certain sound, but only once when the sound is removed. This illusion shows how sound can alter our perception of visual stimuli.
The Tritone Paradox is an auditory illusion created by tones that contain both a higher and lower frequency in them, causing our brains to have a preference of which to listen to. Factors such as geography and language from infancy can play a role in deciding this preference.
The Shepherd Tone Illusion is an auditory illusion where multiple sine waves are played on top of one another, raising in pitch while one quickly drops down an octave as the others continue rising. Our brain doesn’t notice the drop, causing the clips to sound like they’re rising forever.
These illusions may help to explain how something like music can have such a profound yet varying effect on our minds. Check out the ASAP Thought episode linked in the description to explore the question of whether or not music can save your life.
Learning about auditory illusions highlights the complexity of our perception and the influence of various factors on our interpretation of sound. Do you still trust your ears? Leave a comment or ask a burning question for more discussion.
Watch a video demonstrating the McGurk Effect. Try to identify the words being said without looking at the screen, and then watch the video while listening. Discuss how your perception of the words changed when you could see the speaker’s mouth movements.
Participate in an experiment where you watch a flashing circle paired with different sounds. Record your observations about how the sound influenced your perception of the visual stimuli.
Listen to a series of tones that contain both a higher and lower frequency. Discuss which frequency you prefer and consider how factors such as your geographical location and language might influence this preference.
Listen to a clip of the Shepherd Tone Illusion. Try to identify when the pitch drops down an octave. Discuss why it’s difficult to notice the drop and how this illusion creates the impression of a never-ending rise in pitch.
Listen to different genres of music and observe how each one affects your mood and thoughts. Discuss how music can have a profound yet varying effect on our minds, and consider how this might relate to auditory illusions.
auditory illusions – perception of sounds that are not actually present or that differ from the actual sound – The Shepard Tone Illusion is an example of an auditory illusion where a tone appears to be constantly rising in pitch.
visual influence – the effect of what is seen on one’s perceptions and behaviors – The visual influence of advertisements can often persuade consumers to purchase a certain product.
McGurk Effect – an auditory illusion that occurs when the visual information of a person’s mouth movements influence the perceived sound of what they are saying – The McGurk Effect can cause confusion when watching a dubbed movie where the audio does not match the mouth movements.
Tritone Paradox – an auditory illusion where the brain perceives two different musical tones as being the same – The Tritone Paradox is a perplexing phenomenon that still puzzles music theorists today.
Shepherd Tone Illusion – an auditory illusion that creates the sensation of a tone that continually ascends or descends in pitch – The Shepherd Tone Illusion is often used in film scores to create a sense of tension and rising action.
sound perception – the process by which the brain interprets and makes sense of the sounds that are heard – Sound perception is essential for understanding language and communicating with others.
brain interpretation – the way in which the brain processes and makes sense of sensory information – The brain’s interpretation of sensory information can be influenced by factors such as experience and context.
music effects – the various ways in which music can impact a person’s emotions, behavior, and physiology – Music effects can range from calming and soothing to energizing and invigorating.
perception complexity – the level of difficulty in accurately perceiving and interpreting sensory information – The perception complexity of a foreign language can make it challenging to learn and understand.
language influence – the impact that language has on the way in which people perceive and interpret the world around them – The language influence on culture can be seen in the differences between languages that have multiple words for a concept versus those that have only one.
geography influence – the impact that location and environment have on the way in which people perceive and interpret the world around them – The geography influence on architecture can be seen in the different styles of buildings found in different regions of the world.
visual cues – nonverbal signals that are conveyed through sight and that can affect a person’s perception and behavior – Visual cues such as facial expressions and body language can communicate more than words alone.
