A novel frequency-duration bias: lower frequencies are perceived as longer and higher as shorter¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Duration decisions for lower-frequency tones are more accurate and faster for long compared to short tones, whereas the highest frequency tone shows the reverse, revealing an intrinsic perceptual bias that interacts with distributional regularities. → Luthra 2025

Evidence¶

Luthra 2025¶

Luthra, S., Luor, A., Tierney, A. T., Dick, F., & Holt, L. L. (2025). Statistical learning dynamically shapes auditory perception. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00328-z

q3 · i? · causal · r2

In Exp 2e's equiprobable first half, a Frequency × Duration interaction was observed (RT: p = .003, η² = 0.029; Accuracy: p = 3.738e-5, η² = 0.037). The bias was mirrored qualitatively in Exp 2d and observed in Exp 2a-c unimodal distributions (RT: p = 3.968e-6, η² = 0.020; Acc: p = .003, η² = 0.020).

"duration decisions for lower-frequency tones (800, 920 Hz) are more accurate and faster for long (90 ms) compared to short (50 ms) tones whereas those for the highest frequency tone (1200 Hz) are more accurate and faster for short compared to long tones"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Perceptual sensitivity and decisions rapidly update in volatile statistical contexts — related
• Distributional learning across a task-irrelevant dimension slows duration decisions for low-probability frequencies — related