SoundsField recordingsFrequenciesDecibelsInstrumentsGlossaryToolsLearn
  1. Home
  2. Glossary
  3. Psychoacoustics
  4. Kappa effect: Definition & Explanation
Psychoacoustics

Kappa effect

What is kappa effect? A clear definition from the psychoacoustics section of our glossary, with 12 related terms, tools to try and further reading.

Definition of Kappa effect

The kappa effect or perceptual time dilation is a temporal perceptual illusion that can arise when observers judge the elapsed time between sensory stimuli applied sequentially at different locations. In perceiving a sequence of consecutive stimuli, subjects tend to overestimate the elapsed time between two successive stimuli when the distance between the stimuli is sufficiently large, and to underestimate the elapsed time when the distance is sufficiently small.

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

What is Kappa effect?

The kappa effect or perceptual time dilation is a temporal perceptual illusion that can arise when observers judge the elapsed time between sensory stimuli applied sequentially at different locations.

Sources & credits