psychological acoustics

Psychological acoustics studies how humans perceive and interpret sounds, focusing on the mental and sensory processes involved. It explores how we perceive pitch, loudness, timbre, and sound location, and how factors like attention, experience, and context influence our auditory experience. Essentially, it bridges the physical properties of sound waves with our subjective perception, helping us understand why different sounds seem different or meaningful to us. This knowledge informs the design of audio technologies, hearing aids, and acoustic environments to improve sound quality and communication.