Compression may be a general tendency of auditory distance judgments: evidence from distance estimates using a novel echolocation skill

Estimates of sound source distance are well described by a compressive function relating judged to actual distance; distance is systematically underestimated at larger distances. The current experiment investigated whether such compression is a general tendency of auditory distance judgments, by measuring the judged distance of silent objects based on a novel skill, using self-produced echolocation mouth clicks. The accuracy and precision of distance estimates were measured for aluminum or foam objects (the latter being less reflective than the former) positioned 30, 60, or 90 cm away from 11 blindfolded, normally sighted participants. The distance estimates were well characterized by compressive power functions. Distances were significantly more underestimated and consistency was significantly worse for the two closest object distances for foam than for aluminum objects. Systematic errors were similar for the two materials. The results are consistent with the idea that compression may be a general tendency of auditory distance judgments, both for sound-producing objects as observed in the literature and for silent objects whose distance is judged using a novel echolocation skill.