Auditory Sequence: Confusion of Patterns Other Than Speech or Music

Abstract

Accurate perception of temporal order is essential for many auditory tasks. Yet the temporal pattern of four successive sounds (for example, hisses, buzzes, and tones) could not be recognized even when the duration of each sound was considerably longer than either the average phoneme in normal discourse or the notes of melodies. Although each of the stimuli was perceived, their order remained frustratingly elusive.