Backward masking, the suffix effect, and preperceptual storage.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Auditory Perception
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Preperceptual auditory storage is crucial for understanding auditory information processing.
• Auditory backward recognition masking (ABRM) and stimulus suffix effects are commonly used to investigate this storage.
• Previous research suggested similarities between ABRM and stimulus suffix effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate ABRM and stimulus suffix experiments as indices of preperceptual auditory storage.
• To determine if ABRM exhibits mask disinhibition effects.
• To assess the contribution of later processing stages to the suffix effect.

Main Methods:

• Two ABRM experiments were conducted to test for mask disinhibition.
• Analysis of stimulus suffix experiments to identify contributions from later processing stages.
• Evaluation of partial-report tasks and other paradigms for studying auditory storage.

Main Results:

• ABRM experiments failed to demonstrate mask disinhibition, challenging lateral inhibition explanations.
• Evidence suggests the suffix effect is influenced by later processing stages, not solely preperceptual storage.
• ABRM experiments are proposed as a more direct index of perceptual recognition timing.

Conclusions:

• The stimulus suffix effect is not a pure measure of preperceptual auditory storage.
• Auditory backward recognition masking (ABRM) provides a more direct index of the temporal course of perceptual recognition.
• Understanding preperceptual auditory storage is vital for speech perception, with ABRM offering key insights.