The “temporal effect” in simultaneous masking may be characterized by better probe detection thresholds for a short, tonal probe presented at the temporal center of a masker compared to at the onset of a masker. Energy-based models of masking have been used to interpret the temporal effect as evidence that the gain of the auditory system decreases during acoustic stimulation. This study shows that masking from temporal-envelope fluctuations of a precursor or from a temporal gap between stimuli violates the assumptions of energy-based models and complicates the interpretation of temporal effects in terms of a reduction in gain. Detection thresholds were measured for a 6-ms, 4000-Hz probe preceded by a narrowband precursor and presented 2-, 197-, or 392-ms after the onset of a narrowband masker. The delay between the precursor offset and masker onset ranged from −2 to 250 ms. Probe thresholds were elevated in the presence of precursors with fluctuating compared to flattened temporal envelopes and when a temporal gap was inserted between the precursor and masker. The results suggest that the interpretation and design of temporal-effect studies should consider the masking effects of temporal-envelope fluctuations. These findings are consistent with speech-perception experiments that show masking from temporal-envelope fluctuations.

中文翻译：

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噪声中短音的掩蔽：基于包络而非基于能量的检测的证据。


同时掩蔽中的“时间效应”的特征在于，与掩蔽开始时相比，在掩蔽的时间中心出现的短音调探针具有更好的探针检测阈值。基于能量的掩蔽模型已用于将时间效应解释为听觉系统增益在声刺激期间下降的证据。这项研究表明，屏蔽前体的时间包络波动或刺激之间的时间间隙违反了基于能量的模型的假设，并使增益减少方面的时间效应的解释复杂化。检测阈值是在窄带前兆之前的 6 毫秒、4000 赫兹探针上测量的，并在窄带掩蔽出现后 2、197 或 392 毫秒出现。前体偏移和掩蔽起始之间的延迟范围为 -2 到 250 ms。与平坦的时间包络相比，在存在波动的前体的情况下以及当在前体和掩蔽器之间插入时间间隙时，探测阈值升高。结果表明，时间效应研究的解释和设计应考虑时间包络波动的掩蔽效应。这些发现与语音感知实验一致，该实验显示了时间包络波动的掩蔽。