Comparing spectral resolvability in chinchillas and human listeners using phase discrimination

Abstract

A tone complex made of harmonic components that are added in cosine-starting phase can be discriminated from complexes comprised of identical harmonics that are added with random-starting phases. Phase discrimination occurs when unresolved harmonics interact within a single auditory channel. When harmonics are resolved, there is less interaction among components resulting in poorer phase discrimination performance. Thus, phase discrimination indirectly reflects spectral resolvability. Performance in a phase discrimination task was measured in chinchillas and human listeners to compare spectral resolvability between the two groups. Subjects discriminated a cosine-phase tone complex from random-phase tone complexes in a go/no-go behavioral paradigm. Tone complexes were comprised of a 250-Hz fundamental frequency and N consecutive higher harmonics, where N was 5, 10, 20, and 40. Performance was evaluated in terms of d’. The results show that the measured d’ increased as N increased, and values of d’ for each N condition were similar between chinchillas and human listeners. Values of the criterion for each N condition were also similar between chinchillas and humans. The results do not support the hypothesis that spectral resolvability is poorer in chinchillas, but suggest that resolvability is similar between the two groups. [Work supported by NIH/NIDCD.]