Re: streams and groups

[Bruno Repp <repp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Al Bregman wrote:

> I know what a stream is -- a time-varying sound or sequence of
> sounds, treated by the auditory system as coming from a single
> sound source.  However, I don't know what is meant by a group.
> Perhaps the context  in which this term was found would be
> informative.  How was it used in the original source?
I believe you are only pretending not to know about groups, Al.
Perhaps you don't find the concept useful in your work? A group
is a set of elements that is perceived as belonging together.
In audition, these elements usually come from the same
source, which is another property (besides temporal non-overlap)
that distinguishes groups from streams. Perceptual grouping is
as basic and ubiquitous a process as streaming, and there is a
large literature on it. Grouping provides organization within
streams.

--Bruno

Bruno H. Repp
Research Scientist
Haskins Laboratories
270 Crown Street
New Haven, CT 06511-6695
Tel. (203) 865-6163, ext. 236
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e-mail: repp@haskins.yale.edu