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Binaural release from informational masking in a speech identification task
Frederick J Gallun1, Christine R Mason, Gerald Kidd
1Communication Disorders and Hearing Research Center, Sargent College, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA. gallun@bu.edu
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|October 26, 2005
Summary
Binaural hearing cues significantly reduce informational masking (IM) in speech identification. Introducing differences in sound location or timing between target and masker speech improves intelligibility, even with minimal frequency overlap.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Psychoacoustics
- Speech Perception
Background:
- Informational masking (IM) impairs speech intelligibility, particularly when energetic masking (EM) is minimal.
- Binaural hearing, utilizing two ears, offers potential mechanisms for overcoming IM.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of binaural cues in releasing speech from informational masking.
- To determine if manipulating interaural differences in level (ILDs) and time (ITDs) can reduce IM.
Main Methods:
- Speech identification tasks were conducted using target and masker sentences in spectrally distinct frequency bands.
- Stimuli were presented monaurally (TmMm), monaural target with diotic masker (TmMo), and with masker interaural differences (ILDs, ITDs).
Main Results:
- A release from IM was observed when maskers were presented diotically compared to monotically.
- Both ILDs and ITDs applied to the masker resulted in significant release from IM.
- Binaural presentation of both target and masker yielded release when interaural differences between them were present.
Conclusions:
- Binaural cues, including perceived location, ILDs, and ITDs, are highly effective in reducing informational masking.
- These findings support the role of binaural processing in enhancing speech intelligibility in complex auditory environments.