Frequency-temporal resolution of hearing measured by rippled noise

Frequency-temporal resolution of hearing was measured in normal hearers using rippled noise stimulation in conjunction with a phase-reversal test. The principle of the test was to interchange peak and trough positions (the phase reversal) and to find the highest ripple density at which such interchange is detectable depending on reversal rate. The measurements were made using narrow-band noises with center frequencies of 0.5-4 kHz. The ripple-density resolution limits were constant at phase-reversal rates below 2-3/s and diminished at higher phase-reversal rates. A model is proposed to explain the data based on the envelope fluctuations inherent in noise; these fluctuations are supposed to limit detection of frequency-temporal sound patterns.