The Doppler Illusion: The Influence of Dynamic Intensity Change on Perceived Pitch

The Doppler effect is the change in frequency that occurs when there is relative motion between a sound source and a listener. A familiar example may be the pitch change heard in a train's horn as it passes a crossing. Our work on the Doppler "Illusion" demonstrates a new auditory phenomenon associated with the Doppler effect and illustrates a new influence of dynamic intensity change on perceived pitch. Subjects experience an illusory RISE in pitch even though no rise in frequency occurs. The illusion occurs due to a failure of selective attention to frequency in the face of changing intensity. The perceptual dimensions of pitch and loudness interact.

For more info See:

• McBeath, M. K., & Neuhoff, J. G. (2002). The Doppler effect is not what you think it is: Dramatic pitch change due to dynamic intensity change. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 9 (2) 306-313. 
  
  

• Neuhoff, J. G., & McBeath, M. K. (1996). The Doppler Illusion: The influence of dynamic intensity change on perceived pitch.  Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.  22 (4) 970-985.

• Neuhoff, J.G. & McBeath, M. K. (1997). Overcoming naive mental models in explaining the Doppler Shift: An illusion creates confusion. American Journal of Physics 65, 618-621.