Intensive Determinants of Remote Masking

Abstract

Five experiments were conducted to determine those aspects of a masking noise for which remote masking is invariant. The relative contributions of spectrum level and band width to remote masking can be described by the general equation LR = 2Ls+Lf+C, where LR is remote masking in db; Ls is spectrum level in db, the SPL of a 1-cps band width; and Lf is band-width level in db re a 1-cps band width. The constant is specific to each group of subjects. For remote masking less than 30 db, the formula does not predict remote masking, but does enable us to equate different conditions of spectrum level and band width. This equation does not hold as well when frequencies above 4000 cps are included in the masking noise. The possible causes of this inconsistency are discussed.