Spectrotemporal Features in Identifying Environmental Sounds: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Auditory Perception
• Acoustics
• Hearing Science

Background:

• Environmental sounds are integral to daily auditory experiences.
• Acoustic properties of sounds aid in identification and interpretation.
• Understanding spectrotemporal features is vital for auditory device design and interventions, particularly for those with hearing impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of spectrotemporal information in the perception of environmental sounds.
• To identify key acoustic features that contribute to environmental sound recognition.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across five electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL).
• Keywords focused on environmental sounds and spectrotemporal features.
• Study quality was assessed using the National Institutes of Health's Study Quality Assessment Tools.

Main Results:

• Fourteen studies were included, examining temporal, spectral, or both features in environmental sound perception.
• The combination of spectral (e.g., harmonicity, spectral centroid) and temporal (e.g., duration, rhythm) features enables the auditory system to infer source properties.
• The 1200-2400 Hz frequency range was identified as most informative for environmental sound identification, similar to speech critical frequency regions.

Conclusions:

• Spectrotemporal features significantly influence the perception of environmental sounds.
• Heterogeneity in study methodologies limits generalization.
• Identified spectrotemporal features may benefit aural rehabilitation for individuals with hearing disorders.