On the Masking Pattern of a Simple Auditory Stimulus

Abstract

A narrow band of noise was used to mask pure tones, and masking audiograms were detd. at various sound pressures. With a band of noise slightly wider than a critical band, the amt. by which the test signal at the center of the band exceeds the level of the noise is less than that obtained with a considerably wider band of noise. This smaller signal-to-noise ratio is probably due to "beats," since the test tone is heard as a "buzz" or "rattle." For purposes of deriving excitation or loudness patterns, a better estimate of the max. amt. of masking is obtained by using a wide band of noise whose pressure spectrum level is the same as that of the narrow band.