Abstract
This study examined the effects of masking-spectrum slopes and of practical interaural-phase configurations on the detection of pure tones, with applications to sonar and related detection systems. Experimental parameters included band-limited Gaussian noise with slopes of 0 dB/octave (white noise) and of −3 dB/octave (pink noise) for monotic (NmSm) and three homophasic (NoSo, Nπ/2Sπ/2 and NπSπ) listening conditions. Stimuli were 250-msec. tonal signals from 125 to 4000 Hz masked in a 5000-Hz-wide noise band having band-pressure levels of 70 and of 90 dB re 2 × 10−4 dyn · cm−3. Critical ratios for three Ss were obtained by the method of tracking. There were no significant differences in detection among homophasic configurations. Two-ear listening was in the order of 1 to 2 dB better than one-ear listening. Detection in pink noise was significantly better than detection in white noise, with differences averaging 4.6 dB at 125 Hz and 0.8 dB at higher frequencies.
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