Tone-in-noise detection using narrowband reproducible maskers with restricted energy and envelope cues

Abstract

Both energy- and envelope-based models have been successfully used to predict narrowband tone-in-noise detection thresholds. To distinguish between these models, hit and false-alarm rates for 25 reproducible maskers were measured in the N0S0 and N0Sπ interaural configurations and 4 cue conditions: (1) normal energy and envelope cues, (2) restricted envelope cues, (3) restricted energy cues, or (4) restricted energy and envelope cues. Preliminary results show that hit and false-alarm rates were strongly correlated between the conditions with and without restricted energy cues, indicating that the reduction of energy cues did not substantially affect the detection process. However, hit and false-alarm rates were more weakly correlated between the conditions with and without restricted envelope cues, suggesting that the reduction of envelope cues did affect the detection process. Restricting envelope cues also had a larger (but still modest) effect on d′ under the N0Sπ configuration, but restricting energy cues had a larger effect for the N0S0 configuration. Overall, these results are more consistent with envelope-based models, but indicate that additional cues must play a role. [Work supported by NIDCD RO1-DC-001641 (LHC, SAD) and the Ohio Board of Regents (RHG).]