Spread of Perstimulatory Fatigue of a Pure Tone to Neighboring Frequencies

Abstract

Perstimulatory fatigue was measured by means of a series of simultaneous dichotic loudness balances made prior to, during, and subsequent to stimulation by a fatiguing tone of 1000 cps at 80 db. Test tones were the same in sound pressure as the fatiguing stimulus. When measuring fatigue at a frequency other than that of the fatiguing tone, the fatiguing stimulus was turned off for a 15-second interval. During this interval, a loudness balance was made at the frequency of the test tone. Maximum fatigue is produced at the frequency of the fatiguing stimulus. Fatigue falls off rapidly on both sides of this frequency at a negatively accelerated rate until at 100 cps and at 2500 cps little or no effect is evident. The gradients of perstimulatory fatigue are nearly symmetrical when plotted on a log-frequency scale.