Effect of masker level on infants’ detection of tones in noise

Berg, Kathleen M.; Boswell, Amy E.

doi:10.3758/bf03211950

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…However, for infant listeners, the difference between DLs for 10-and 100-msec increments tended to be large at low levels of the standard and to decrease with increasing intensity at both low and high frequencies. This pattern is very similar to results obtained for infants' temporal integration of low-frequency tones in increasing levels of masking noise (Berg & Boswell, 1997). Thus, despite the different characteristics of temporal integration in detection and level discrimination paradigms, developmental trends appear to be the same for the two tasks.…”

Section: Level Of Standard (Db Susupporting

confidence: 74%

Infants’ detection of increments in low- and high-frequency noise

Berg

Boswell

1998

Perception & Psychophysics

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Avisually reinforced operant paradigm was employed to examine the relationship between the difference limen (DL)for intensity and level of the standard during infancy.In Experiment 1, 7-month-old infants and adults detected increments in continuous noise presented via headphones at each of four levels ranging from 28 to 58 dB SPL. Noise stimuli were 2-octave bands centered at either 400 or 4000Hz, and increments were 10 and 100msec in duration. Infants' DLswere significantly larger than those of adult subjects and significantly larger for low-than for high-frequency stimuli. For the highfrequency noise band, infants' DLs were generally consistent with Weber's law, remaining essentially constant for standards higher than 28 dB SPL(3 dB SL)for 100-msecincrements and 38 dB SPL(13 dB SL)for lO-msecincrements. For low-frequency noise, infants' absolute thresholds were exceptionally high, and sensation levels ofthe standards were too low to adequately describe the relationship. In Experiment 2, 7-month-old infants detected 10-and 100-msec increments in 400-Hz noise stimuli presented in sound field. Infants' low-frequency DLswere large at low intensities and decreased with increases in level of the standard up to at least 30 dB SL. For both low-and high-frequency noise, the difference between DLsfor 10-and 100-msecincrements tended to be large at low levels of the standard and to decrease at higher levels. These results suggest that the relationship between the DLand levelof the standard varies with both stimulus frequencyand duration duringinfancy. However,stimulusdependent immaturities in increment detection may be most evident at levels within approximately 30 dB of absolute threshold.One ofthe most basic of auditory capacities is the ability to detect a change in the intensity or level ofan auditory stimulus. This ability has been widely studied in both normal and hearing-impaired adults, but little is known about discrimination of intensity differences in infants and young children. The few experiments examining this topic from a developmental perspective are consistent in showing poorer performance in young subjects. Sinnott and Aslin (1985) reported difference limens (DLs) ranging from 3 to 12 dB for a group of 7-to 9-month~old infants detecting increments in a constantly repeating 1-kHz tone presented at 60 dB SPL. By comparison, adult DLs obtained under identical conditions ranged from 1 to 2 dB. Bull, Eilers, and Oiler (1984) varied the intensity of individual synthetic syllables embedded within multi syllable wordlike units and found increment thresholds on the order of 2-6 dB in young infants; Schneider and Trehub (1985) reported similar estimates of2.5-5 dB for infants' detection of increments in continuous broadband noise. These values compare with DLs of less than 1 dB typically obtained in adult subjects for similar types of stimuli (see, e.g., Miller,

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Section: Level Of Standard (Db Susupporting

confidence: 74%

Infants’ detection of increments in low- and high-frequency noise

Berg

Boswell

1998

Perception & Psychophysics

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“…Although the differences in EMLs between infants and adults found in the present study are similar to those observed for air-conducted masked behavioral studies, the signal-tonoise ratios (SNRs) for infants compared with adults differ slightly from the findings of a visual reinforcement study conducted by Berg and Boswell (1999). In their study, SNRs for four different masking levels were determined at 500 and 4000 Hz by finding the masked thresholds for each individual masker.…”

Section: Effective Masking Levelssupporting

confidence: 63%

Effective Masking Levels for Bone Conduction Auditory Steady State Responses in Infants and Adults Run down Normal Hearing

Hansen

Small

2012

Ear &Amp; Hearing

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Our findings indicate that there are frequency- and level-dependent infant-adult differences in EMLs for bone conduction ASSRs and confirm that a 1000 Hz stimulus is 12 dB more effective for infants compared with adults. The following infant preliminary masking levels for bone conduction stimuli are recommended: (i) 1000 Hz: 48 and 58 dB SPL at 15 and 25 dB HL, respectively, and (ii) 4000 Hz: 40 and 45 dB SPL at 25 and 35 dB HL, respectively.

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“…Temporal integration results from 3 to 7 month old infants ͑Berg, 1991; Werner and Marean, 1991;Berg and Boswell, 1999͒ have generally been consistent with greater temporal integration than found for adults due to relatively poor infant thresholds for short-duration signals consisting of either clicks or 10-16 ms tone bursts. Interestingly, the report by Berg and Boswell ͑1999͒ indicated that infants' temporal integration was more adult-like at higher masker levels, and that the adult/infant difference in temporal integration was absent for a relatively highfrequency ͑4-kHz͒ signal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Monaural temporal integration and temporally selective listening in children and adults

Buss

Hall

2010

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

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This study used two paradigms to investigate the development of temporal integration and temporally selective listening. Experiment 1 measured detection as a function of duration for a pure tone at 1625 or 6500 Hz. At both frequencies thresholds of children younger than 7 years old were higher than those for older children and adults. The pattern of temporal integration was similar across groups for the 6500-Hz signal, but younger children showed relatively more temporal integration for the 1625-Hz signal due to high thresholds for the briefest 1625-Hz signal. Experiment 2 measured detection thresholds for one or for three brief tone pips presented in a noise masker. In one set of conditions, the noise masker consisted of 100-ms steady bursts interleaved with 10-ms temporal gaps. In other conditions, the level of the central 50 ms of the 100-ms masking noise bursts was adjusted by either +6 or Ϫ6 dB. Children showed higher thresholds but similar temporal integration compared with adults. Overall, these data suggest that children are less efficient than adults in weighting the output of the monaural temporal window at 1625 but not 6500 Hz. Children are efficient in combining energy from brief temporal epochs that are separated by noise.

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Effect of masker level on infants’ detection of tones in noise

Cited by 10 publications

References 41 publications

Infants’ detection of increments in low- and high-frequency noise

Infants’ detection of increments in low- and high-frequency noise

Effective Masking Levels for Bone Conduction Auditory Steady State Responses in Infants and Adults Run down Normal Hearing

Monaural temporal integration and temporally selective listening in children and adults

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