Noise‐intensity discrimination: Effects of bandwidth conditions and mode of masker presentation

TLDR: In this paper, the reciprocity between signal power density and signal bandwidth was found to be 5 dB per log unit of bandwidth with continuous maskers and 5 dB with gated maskers.

Abstract: Noise‐intensity discrimination was studied as a function of both signal and masker bandwidth. Five bandwidths of noise—ranging from 100 to 10 000 Hz—were employed. Maskers were presented at each of three spectrum levels (5, 25, and 45 dB re 0.0002 μbar). Discrimination thresholds were relatively unaffected by changing bandwidth over a two‐decade range when the signal and masker were filtered together, with either continuous or gated presentation of the masker. When the masker bandwidth was greater than that of the signal, the reciprocity between signal power density and signal bandwidth was found to be 5 dB per log unit of bandwidth with continuous maskers and 5–10 dB (depending upon level) with gated maskers. The results were compared with predictions of energy‐detector models of noise‐intensity discrimination. Modifications of simple energy‐detection schemes were discussed.Subject Classification: [43]65.58, [43]65.75, [43]65.50; [43]50.70.