auditoryadjacent

Auditoryadjacent is a neologism used in cognitive science and media studies to describe phenomena, stimuli, or experiences that relate to auditory perception without constituting direct hearing. The term emphasizes the close relationship between sound and other sensory or cognitive processes that accompany or stand in for auditory information. Etymologically, it combines 'auditory' with 'adjacent' to signal proximity rather than identity.

The scope includes vibrotactile or haptic representations of sound, visualizations of rhythm or pitch, speechreading and lip movement as complements to auditory input, and neural or imagined auditory experiences that occur without actual sound. In practice, researchers use it to discuss cross-modal integration, multisensory design, and accessibility technologies where sound is translated into other modalities.

Examples include wearable devices that translate music into vibration patterns, on-screen beat cues that aid rhythm perception, and imagery or inner speech that resembles listening without producing audible output. The concept helps differentiate between what is heard and what is closely tied to auditory cues through perception, cognition, or translation into another modality.

Critics argue that auditoryadjacent risks overlap with established terms such as cross-modal perception, multimodal design, or audiotactile interfaces, potentially diluting precision. Proponents view it as a convenience label for studying the peripheral or supplemental aspects of audio experience.

See also: cross-modal perception, multimodal perception, auditory imagery, vibrotactile feedback. Note: This article describes a concept that may be used descriptively rather than as a widely adopted term.