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Psychophysical tuning curves for combination tones 2f1-f2 and f2-f1
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|May 1, 1980
Summary
Combination tones, like pure tones, are stimulus-like auditory percepts. Research shows their presence on the basilar membrane, regardless of generation method, influencing auditory perception.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Psychoacoustics
- Physiology
Background:
- Combination tones are complex auditory percepts arising from the interaction of two primary tones.
- Previous research suggests combination tones may have stimulus-like properties, but direct evidence is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether combination tones (2f1-f2 and f2-f1) are perceived as stimulus-like.
- To compare the psychoacoustic properties of combination tones with pure tones.
Main Methods:
- A simultaneous masking paradigm was used with three musically sophisticated listeners.
- Listeners adjusted pure tone masker levels to detect a 1200 Hz signal under four conditions: pure tone, two types of combination tones, and a control.
- Tuning curves were generated by plotting masker level against masker frequency.
Main Results:
- Tuning curve shapes were similar for both pure tones and combination tones.
- The minimum masker level (tuning curve tip) consistently occurred near 1200 Hz for all conditions.
- This indicates that combination tones are processed similarly to pure tones in the auditory system.
Conclusions:
- Combination tones (2f1-f2 and f2-f1) function as stimulus-like percepts.
- These findings align with psychophysical and physiological data suggesting their presence in cochlear basilar membrane motion.
- The auditory system processes combination tones similarly to externally presented tones.