“Sound Illusions” explores the fascinating realm of auditory perception, revealing how our brains actively construct the sounds we experience. This book delves into the science behind sonic deceptions, highlighting the psychological implications and technological applications they enable. The book emphasizes that auditory perception is not a passive process but an active interpretation, and understanding auditory illusions is essential for appreciating our auditory system. The book examines how sounds trick the brain and how echoes/reverberation affect spatial hearing. For instance, the McGurk effect demonstrates how visual information can alter what we hear, while the cocktail party effect showcases our ability to selectively focus on a single conversation amidst noise. By integrating research from psychoacoustics, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience, “Sound Illusions” offers a unique perspective on auditory illusions and their implications. Beginning with basic concepts in acoustics, the book progresses in three parts: auditory illusions, the role of echoes/reverberation, and applications in music, virtual reality, and assistive devices. It draws from psychoacoustic experiments and neuroimaging studies to provide empirical evidence, offering readers a deeper understanding of how our auditory system works and how it can be deceived.
