Jeffress Model

The Jeffress Model explains how our brain determines the direction of a sound source. It suggests that when a sound arrives at both ears, the brain uses tiny time differences—called interaural time differences—to figure out where the sound is coming from. It does this through a series of internal neural delays and coincidence detectors that compare the signals. When the signals meet simultaneously in certain pathways, the brain identifies the exact direction of the sound. This model helps us localize sounds accurately, especially for high-frequency noises.