1.3.1 The beginning of hearing (prenatal auditory experience)

Hearing begins when the auditory system is fully developed, at around 28-30 weeks. (Lecanuet, 1996, 9) The foetus begins hearing sounds in utero, and these sounds consist of maternal and foetal intra-uterine background noise (respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, laryngeal, movement), and ex utero noises (external sound, including other adults voices) (Lecanuet, 4). It is generally assumed that auditory perception occurs earlier than any other sense.

Interestingly, in the psychology textbook by Carlson and Buskist, (1997) the chapter on perception does not include auditory perception. Major headings are Brain Mechanisms of Visual Perception, Perception of Form, and Perception of Space and Motion. Within the text, these are all related to seeing. This is curious considering a statement earlier in the text which places hearing as important, if not more so (especially in terms of communication), than sight. (1997, 180). Burnett, Fend and Gook state that "In Western scholarship visual perception has been studied much more thoroughly than aural perception." (Burnett et al, 1991, 2)