Detection of static and dynamic changes in interaural correlation.
This study examines the relation between a static and a dynamic measure of interaural correlation discrimination: (1) the just noticeable difference (JND) in interaural correlation and (2) the minimum detectable duration of a fixed interaural correlation change embedded within a single noise-burst of a given reference correlation. For the first task, JNDs were obtained from reference interaural correlations of + 1, -1, and from 0 interaural correlation in either the positive or negative direction. For the dynamic task, duration thresholds were obtained for a brief target noise of +1, -1, and 0 interaural correlation embedded in reference marker noise of +1, -1, and 0 interaural correlation. Performance with a reference interaural correlation of +1 was significantly better than with a reference correlation of -1. Similarly, when the reference noise was interaurally uncorrelated, discrimination was significantly better for a target correlation change towards +1 than towards -1. Thus, for both static and dynamic tasks, interaural correlation discrimination in the positive range was significantly better than in the negative range. Using the two measures, the length of a binaural temporal window was estimated. Its equivalent rectangular duration (ERD) was approximately 86 ms and independent of the interaural correlation configuration.
Boehnke
Susan E
SE
Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. sboehnke@is2.dal.ca
Hall
Susan E
SE
Marquardt
Torsten
T
D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D003051:Cochlea / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010470:Perceptual Masking