Frequency-dependence of auditory temporal resolution.
Item
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Title
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Frequency-dependence of auditory temporal resolution.
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Identifier
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AAI9108131
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identifier
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9108131
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Creator
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Kishon-Rabin, Liat.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Arthur Boothroyd
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Date
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1990
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Health Sciences, Audiology | Psychology, Experimental
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Abstract
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The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between auditory temporal resolution and frequency. For this purpose, thresholds for pure tones during a brief gap in an 800 msec white noise burst were measured as a function of gap width and tone frequency in 5 normally hearing subjects. The tone began well before the gap and ended well after, so that any switching transients were masked by the noise.;The results showed strong frequency-dependence below 1 KHz but only weak frequency-dependence above this frequency. The data relating threshold to gap width at a given frequency could not be modeled adequately by a single decay process. The data were, therefore, reanalyzed using a model that included two decay processes plus the "preceptual integration time". This model fits the data very well and can be explained in physiological terms. Specifically: (a) At the onset of the gap, there is persistence of noise within the cochlea due to "ringing" in the auditory filters. This phenomenon determines threshold for very short gaps. (b) Simultaneously, electro-chemical systems within or beyond the cochlea, recover from threshold adaptation that occurred during the noise. This threshold recovery is measured for longer gaps. (c) The listener detects the tone when its energy has exceeded the higher of the two thresholds determined by (a) and (b), for some critical time called the "perceptual integration time".;Mean values of the time constants of the assumed cochlear decay process were 13.0, 5.6, 4.0, and 3.6 msec at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 KHz, respectively. These values show strong frequency dependence and are well predicted from linear auditory filter theory. The mean value of the time constant of the assumed recovery from adaptation was 90 msec and was independent of frequency. Perceptual integration time ranged from 3 to 8 msec and there was weak evidence of frequency dependence.;The findings provide strong support for the notion that peripheral temporal resolution is limited by the time constants of peripheral auditory filters. They also illustrate the benefits of an experimental paradigm that separates peripheral temporal constraints from those of more central mechanisms.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
