A useful links for general surfing on the topic...
     Acoustical Society of America

Some physical and perceptual quantities correspond in a direct way: frequency to pitch, and amplitude to loudness. We're interested in understanding acuity in basic perceptual dimensions including pitch, loudness, and direction, as well as the multi-dimensional makeup of sound properties like timbre, distance and spectral fusion. A better understanding of what matters for simulations of physical sounds, of what can be left behind when compressing sound data and what might constitute  analyzer front-ends for automatic recognition of sounds results from gains in psychoacoustic research.
The psychology of perception often closely linked with artists' own endeavors in manipulating illusions and creating synthetic realities.