title: Time and frequency metrics related to auditory masking of a 10 kHz tone in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).
abstract: Metrics related to the frequency spectrum of noise (e.g., critical ratios) are often used to describe and predict auditory masking. In this study, detection thresholds for a 10 kHz tone were measured in the presence of anthropogenic, natural, and synthesized noise. Time-domain and frequency-domain metrics were calculated for the different noise types, and regression models were used to determine the relationship between noise metrics and masked tonal thresholds. Statistical models suggested that detection thresholds, masked by a variety of noise types at a variety of noise levels, can be explained with metrics related to the spectral density of noise and the degree to which amplitude modulation is correlated across frequency regions of the noise. The results demonstrate the need to include time-domain metrics when describing and predicting auditory masking.
authors: National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, No. 200, San Diego, California 92106.
authors: Brian K
authors: BK
authors: Branstetter
authors: G2 Software Systems Inc., 4250 Pacific Highway, Suite 125, San Diego, California 92110.
authors: Jennifer S
authors: JS
authors: Trickey
authors: G2 Software Systems Inc., 4250 Pacific Highway, Suite 125, San Diego, California 92110.
authors: Hitomi
authors: H
authors: Aihara
authors: U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, Code 71510, 53560 Hull Street, San Diego, California 92152.
authors: James J
authors: JJ
authors: Finneran
authors: National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, No. 200, San Diego, California 92106.
authors: Tori R
authors: TR
authors: Liberman
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000162:Acoustics; D000818:Animals; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011571:Psychoacoustics; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013997:Time Factors