A new research project at the Acoustics Research Institute, led by David Meijer, will examine these "biased" perceptions. The project, titled BIASED EAR – Bayesian Inference and Adaptive Sensing in Engaged Directional hEARing, has been awarded funding by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and will run from February 2026 to December 2029.
The project investigates why listeners sometimes perceive sounds as closer to—or further from—the center than they actually are, and how these divergences depend on the directions of preceding sounds. Rather than treating such biases as flaws, BIASED EAR proposes that they reflect the brain's adaptive strategies for navigating complex and changing acoustic environments.
By combining computer modelling and carefully designed laboratory experiments, Meijer and his team aim to identify how the brain integrates sensory information and prior expectations to maintain perceptual stability while still adapting to new sound sources. The research builds on insights from vision science and promises to shed light on how spatial hearing and cognition interact during engaged listening.
Ultimately, BIASED EAR seeks to deepen our understanding of the neural mechanisms that allow humans to orient and respond effectively to sounds in an uncertain and noisy environment —even when the brain’s estimates are “biased.”