The effect of intensity on the localization of different acoustical stimuli in the vertical plane

Two experiments have been carried out to investigate the effects of using different stimuli, various intensities, and repeated stimulus presentation on the ability to localize sounds in the vertical plane. It was found that noise can be localized more accurately than a speech stimulus. Increasing the sensation level of the stimulus reduces localizational errors up to a sensation level of 70 dB, where the error appears to reach a plateau at about 3·5°. There is little or no apparent learning process involved in the task of auditory localization.