Comodulation detection differences using noise-band signals

Abstract

In a variant of the standard paradigm employed to study comodulation masking release (CMR), a narrow noise band was used as a signal in the presence of "cue" bands which had either the same or different temporal envelopes. The number of cue bands present ranged from zero to four; when there were two or four cue bands, they were either all presented at the same overall level or the spectral profile was "scrambled" in a haphazard manner. Different noise samples were presented within and across trials. The result was in the opposite direction from the standard CMR outcome; that is, better performance was obtained when the envelopes of the cue band (s) were uncorrelated with those of the signal band than when they were correlated. These comodulation detection differences (CDDs) ranged from a decibel or two up to 10-12 dB in different conditions, and were generally larger the more cue bands present. Standard CMR conditions, which were run as controls, revealed that the detectability of a tonal signal does not increase as the number of cue bands is increased from one to four-an outcome which differs from those obtained in profile analysis experiments. The data taken with the equal-level and the scrambled-level cues differed little in both the CDD and the CMR conditions. All noise bands were 100 Hz wide, and approximately 250 ms in duration. The signal band in CDD and the masker band in CMR were centered at 2500 Hz. The psychophysical procedure was two-interval forced choice.