Detection of a Pulsed Sinusoid in Noise as a Function of Frequency

Abstract

The detectability of a pulsed sinusoid (0.1 sec) in white noise was measured at sixteen frequencies ranging from 250 to 4000 cps. The measurements are compared with the results previously obtained from experiments in which continuous sinusoids of indefinite duration were used. The dependence of detectability on frequency appears to be very similar in all the experiments. We also measured the detectability of compound signals, i.e., signals with 12 and 16 sinusoidal components. A comparison of the detectability for the single and combined sinusoids allows us to determine approximately how the auditory system sums energy over frequency.