8–12 Sept 2026
Europe/Vienna timezone

Session

A15.02/A24.05 Hearing Research in Virtual Environments

A15.02/A24.05
10 Sept 2026, 09:00

Conveners

A15.02/A24.05 Hearing Research in Virtual Environments: S108

  • Janina Fels (IHTA, RWTH Aachen University)
  • Nils Peters (Trinity College, The University of Dublin)
  • Carolin Breuer (IHTA, RWTH Aachen University)

A15.02/A24.05 Hearing Research in Virtual Environments: S453

  • Carolin Breuer (IHTA, RWTH Aachen University)
  • Nils Peters (Trinity College, The University of Dublin)
  • Janina Fels (IHTA, RWTH Aachen University)

A15.02/A24.05 Hearing Research in Virtual Environments: P450

  • Carolin Breuer (IHTA, RWTH Aachen University)
  • Janina Fels (IHTA, RWTH Aachen University)
  • Nils Peters (Trinity College, The University of Dublin)

Presentation materials

There are no materials yet.

  1. Yuqing Li (Medizinische Physik, Universität Oldenburg)
    10/09/2026, 09:00
    A15 Psychoacoustics

    Virtual acoustic environments are increasingly used in psychoacoustics and spatial audio research, with growing importance for virtual and augmented reality applications. However, achieving perceptual validity comparable to real-world scenarios remains a critical challenge. This study investigates human sound localization performance by directly comparing perception of sounds played from...

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  2. Thomas Robotham (International Audio Laboratories Erlangen)
    10/09/2026, 09:20
    A15 Psychoacoustics

    Modal sound fields arise from wave interference in enclosed spaces and dominate the low-frequency acoustic response of a room. Capturing this behavior in virtual acoustic environments requires numerical wave methods, which remain computationally expensive for real-time interactive applications. Geometrical methods achieve this necessary efficiency but may not incorporate accurate modal...

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  3. Mira Hesse (TU Ilmenau)
    10/09/2026, 09:40
    A15 Psychoacoustics

    This study investigates the potential of decoding spatial auditory attention using biosignals, specifically the vestigial postauricular muscle reflex (PAMR) and eye movements. Surface electromyography (EMG) using dry electrodes and eyetracking were recorded concurrently while participants were exposed to acoustic stimulation (broadband noise and narrowband sine bursts) across nine spatial...

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  4. Carolin Breuer (IHTA, RWTH Aachen University)
    10/09/2026, 10:20
    A15 Psychoacoustics

    Traditional auditory attention research often relies on controlled but artificial laboratory settings. Virtual reality offers a more realistic alternative, but added visual information may influence not only performance but also the subjective listening experience. This study examined how visualization of target and distracting sound sources in a virtual classroom affects perceived listening...

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  5. Isabel S. Schiller (Work and Engineering Psychology, RWTH Aachen University)
    10/09/2026, 10:40
    A15 Psychoacoustics

    Listening attentively and remembering spoken information are essential for many everyday life communication scenarios. We rely on these cognitive abilities when engaging in conversations, attending lectures, or following political debates. Prior research has examined how acoustic and audiovisual factors influence listeners’ ability to retain heard information (content memory), but far less is...

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  6. Antoine Bourachot (Technische Universität München)
    10/09/2026, 11:00
    A15 Psychoacoustics

    Hearing research has studied the acoustic basis of communication extensively. However, speech understanding is not purely an acoustic process: visual information from the speaker’s face, especially lip movements, plays a key complementary role. These cues become particularly valuable in challenging or noisy listening conditions. As virtual environments expand in both research and everyday...

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  7. Sylvia B. Grabe (Hochschule Mittweida)
    10/09/2026, 11:20
    A15 Psychoacoustics

    This paper explores the therapeutic potential of Spatial Audio and Immersive Audio in the context of mental health interventions. While a broad evidence base shows that audio-based approaches, including music listening, music therapy, and other sound-based interventions, can reduce pain, anxiety, stress, depressive symptoms, and fatigue, the additional contribution of spatial reproduction...

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  8. Nicola La Magna (Imperial College London)
    10/09/2026, 15:00
    A15 Psychoacoustics

    Speech intelligibility decreases in noisy environments, especially for individuals with hearing impairment. Spatial separation between speech and competing sounds improves understanding through spatial release from masking (SRM). This can be measured using loudspeakers or headphones, in the latter case through convolution with Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs). In several use-cases,...

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  9. Felix Stärz (Jade Hochschule, IHA)
    10/09/2026, 15:00
    A15 Psychoacoustics

    This study investigates the perceptual differences among various recording techniques used to capture a singer-songwriter performance at the Staatstheater Oldenburg. The performance was recorded utilising binaural (Eigenmike em64, Vikk64, Kemar), stereo (ORTF, AB), and monaural (omnidirectional) configurations. Notably, the venue employs an artificial acoustic system yielding a reverberation...

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