Extent of Sound Image Lateralization: Influence of Measurement Method

Interaural differences in level and time cause an off-midline sound perception. The extent of this lateralization is either measured by matching the lateralization of a second "acoustic pointer" stimulus or by indicating the perceived location on a visual reference scale. We performed a comparison of the two methods in normal-hearing listeners and report that the visual reference scale is the more direct, robust, accurate, faster and easier to use method. Furthermore, the acoustic pointer stimulus influences the lateralization of the target in some cases.