AUX: a scripting language for auditory signal processing and software packages for psychoacoustic experiments and...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Auditory Neuroscience
• Computational Linguistics

Background:

• Researchers often require specialized tools for generating and analyzing auditory signals in behavioral studies.
• Existing methods may involve complex programming or lack flexibility for diverse experimental needs.
• A need exists for an accessible syntax to describe and manipulate sound stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce AUX (AUditory syntaX), a novel scripting syntax for auditory signal description and processing.
• To provide researchers and students with an intuitive tool for generating and examining sound signals.
• To facilitate the use of custom sound stimuli in psychophysical research.

Main Methods:

• Development of AUX, a scripting syntax with descriptive function names and intuitive operators.
• Creation of AUX Viewer for sound generation, visualization, and playback.
• Development of Psycon for integrating AUX-generated stimuli into psychophysical testing paradigms.
• Provision of the AUX Library for custom program development.

Main Results:

• AUX scripts are portable, reusable, and shareable across different AUX-based programs.
• AUX Viewer enables easy sound generation, visualization, and playback for demonstrations.
• Psycon supports various psychophysical methods (e.g., adaptive procedure, method of constant stimuli) using AUX stimuli.
• The AUX Library allows for extended functionality and custom application development.

Conclusions:

• AUX offers a powerful yet accessible solution for auditory signal manipulation in behavioral research.
• The syntax democratizes sound stimulus generation, benefiting both novice and expert researchers.
• AUX promotes standardization and reusability of auditory stimuli in scientific investigations.