Subject: Re: Increment versus decrement detection From: Al Bregman <al.bregman@xxxxxxxx> Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 00:02:47 -0400 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>Hi Bruno, The query you sent about your new data was just the sort of thing that the AUDITORY list should be used for -- the sharing of ideas that can strengthen research and hasten development. Thanks from all of us for sharing these findings. I hope that the responses will have have beneficial effects for your research. Best, Al On Wed, Sep 30, 2009 at 10:37 AM, Bruno Repp <repp@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > Dear colleagues: > > I recently conducted some experiments in which participants had to detect a > single changed tone in an isochronous melody consisting of 12 successive > complex tones (piano tones) of different pitch but equal loudness. The > change to be detected was either in intensity or in duration, and it was > either an increment or a decrement. These were four separate tasks, not > intermixed. The melody containing the change was immediately preceded by the > same melody not containing any change. I would be grateful for comments or > references that would help me understand the following trends in my data: > > (1) Decrements are harder to detect than increments. Is this well known from > previous psychoacoustic research? What is the reason? > > (2) The pattern of variation in detection scores (hits and false alarms) > across the 12 tones in the melody, which reflects influences of pitch > contour and other factors, is uncorrelated between increment and decrement > detection. It seems like these two tasks have little in common. Why? > > (3) In increment detection, both hits and false alarms tend to increase > across the 12 tones in a melody, but decrement detection shows the opposite > trend. It is as if tones were expected to become softer as the melody > progresses. Why? > > Many thanks in advance for any helpful replies! > > Best, > Bruno > > -- > Bruno H. Repp > Haskins Laboratories 300 George Street > New Haven, CT 06511-6624 > Tel. (203) 865-6163, ext. 236 > Fax (203) 865-8963 > http://www.haskins.yale.edu/staff/repp.html > -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Albert S. Bregman, Emeritus Professor Psychology Department, McGill University 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 1B1. Office: Phone: (514) 398-6103, Fax: (514) 398-4896 Residence phone & fax: (514) 484-2592 http://webpages.mcgill.ca/staff/Group2/abregm1/web/ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------