Binaural Masking: An Analysis of Models
Abstract
The overall goal of this program of research is to specify the processes used by the auditory system to detect signals presented in noisy backgrounds. A wide variety of experimental approaches were used to examine these processes. The data suggest that subjects often detect the signal as a change in the spectral/temporal pattern of stimulus information. These results conflict with the classical models of simple auditory masking that suggest that subjects restrict their analysis to a narrow frequency band and a brief temporal window. Quantitative models of the process that compares information across spectral/temporal regions were developed, which combine excitatory and inhibitory components. While it has traditionally been assumed that quite different mechanisms govern monaural and binaural masking phenomena, very similar models were successfully applied to the two sets of data. Other significant results include a more complete description on internal noise processes, evidence that the external masker is not cancelled by the binaural processor, empirical and theoretical evaluations of the efficiency of psychophysical procedures, and hardware and software developments to aid psychoacoustic research. Overall, the work examined issues and models of contemporary interest and thus has implications for auditory theory in general and for the study of auditory pattern analysis and auditory masking in specific.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA211578
Entities
People
- Robert H. Gilkey
Organizations
- Central Institute for the Deaf