Subject: Perceptual vs. Informational masking From: Ben Hornsby <ben.hornsby(at)VANDERBILT.EDU> Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 14:18:20 -0500This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C254E7.15FBD780 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello All, I am in the process of reviewing literature related to the effects of = "informational" and/or "perceptual" masking on speech understanding. I = have found the use of these terms in isolation to describe the = additional masking effects of a two (or several) talker = babble/interferers above that of a spectrally matched modulated (or = unmodulated) noise. In my cursory review I have noticed several authors = use the term "perceptual masking" to describe this phenomenon (e.g. = Carhart and colleagues, 1966, 1968, 1975; Hall, et al., 2002), while = others use the term "informational masking" to describe a seemingly = similar phenomenon (e.g. Freyman, et al., 1999; Brungart and colleagues, = 2001a, 2001b, 2002). The terms seem to have come from different camps of researchers that = were investigating the impact of the same phenomenon on somewhat = different aspects of auditory perception. Carhart et al., were looking = at additional masking effects (above simple power summation) of two = (multi)-talker maskers compared to steady state (or modulated) noise = maskers and used the term "perceptual masking" to describe the effects. = In contrast, Pollack (1975), Watson and colleagues (1975,1976) and = others have examined the impact of stimulus uncertainty on various = detection tasks and used the term "informational masking" to describe = the additional masking effects of uncertainty above that of traditional = "energetic masking". More recent papers (e.g. Freyman, et al., 1999; = Brungart and colleagues, 2001a, 2001b, 2002 and others I'm sure) have = used this term to describe additional masking in some speech = understanding tasks similar to that described by Carhart. Sorry for the long post but I am simply trying to confirm the history = and usage of the terms. Any comments regarding how to best = combine/differentiate these terms would be helpful. Ben Hornsby ------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C254E7.15FBD780 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4522.1800" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV>Hello All,</DIV> <DIV>I am in the process of reviewing literature related to the effects = of=20 "informational" and/or "perceptual" masking on speech understanding. I = have=20 found the use of these terms in isolation to describe the additional = masking=20 effects of a two (or several) talker babble/interferers above = that of=20 a spectrally matched modulated (or unmodulated) noise. In my cursory = review I=20 have noticed several authors use the term "perceptual masking" to = describe this=20 phenomenon (e.g. Carhart and colleagues, 1966, 1968, 1975; Hall, et al., = 2002),=20 while others use the term "informational masking" to describe a = seemingly=20 similar phenomenon (e.g. Freyman, et al., 1999; Brungart and colleagues, = 2001a,=20 2001b, 2002).</DIV> <DIV>The terms seem to have come from different camps of researchers = that were=20 investigating the impact of the same phenomenon on somewhat different = aspects of=20 auditory perception. Carhart et al., were looking at additional masking = effects=20 (above simple power summation) of two (multi)-talker maskers compared to = steady=20 state (or modulated) noise maskers and used the term "perceptual = masking" to=20 describe the effects. In contrast, Pollack (1975), Watson and colleagues = (1975,1976) and others have examined the impact of stimulus uncertainty = on=20 various detection tasks and used the term "informational masking" to = describe=20 the additional masking effects of uncertainty above that of traditional=20 "energetic masking". More recent papers (e.g. Freyman, et al., 1999; = Brungart=20 and colleagues, 2001a, 2001b, 2002 and others I'm sure) have used this = term to=20 describe additional masking in some speech understanding tasks similar = to that=20 described by Carhart.</DIV> <DIV>Sorry for the long post but I am simply trying to confirm the = history and=20 usage of the terms. Any comments regarding how to best=20 combine/differentiate these terms would be helpful.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ben Hornsby</DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C254E7.15FBD780--