Re: How many streams?

[Al Bregman <bregman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Michael,

Your reference [3] and the Rogers & Bregman (1993) article that is cited
there suggest -- but do not prove -- that having the 2-tone alternation
before the beginning of the 4-tone cycle will cause there to be 2 streams,
A & B in one, and C & D in the other.

Of course this would all depend on the tone rate as well, since at very
high rates A might segregate from B and when C & D were turned on, there
might be four streams.  Even at moderate rates, say 125-150 ms SOA between
A and B, where A and B might be allocated to the same stream with a 3
semitone separation, there might be a brief disruption when the C & D
tones were turned on, but my guess is that the organization into 2
streams, A with B and C with D, would occur rapidly.

But why not just synthesize the sequence, vary the speed and the frequency
separations, and find out?  You wouldn't even need human subjects.  You
could use us. :)   Just put it up on the web.

- Al

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Albert S. Bregman,  Emeritus Professor,  Psychology Dept, McGill Univ.
1205  Docteur Penfield Avenue,   Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada   H3A 1B1.
Phone: +1 514-398-6103 Fax: -4896  Email: bregman@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca
Lab Web Page: http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/labs/auditory/laboratory.html
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On Thu, 9 Sep 1999, Michael Norris wrote:

> Dear List,
>
>         The gradual build and decay of auditory streaming has been
>         measured, and the persistence of stream biasing is reported
>         to be about 4 seconds [1][2][3], but once streams have formed,
>         what happens when a tone sequence in a different frequency
> ...