Interaction among auditory dimensions: timbre, pitch, and loudness. 1990

R D Melara, and L E Marks
John B. Pierce Foundation Laboratory, New Haven, Connecticut.

In two experiments, we examined whether or not pairs of auditory dimensions--timbre-loudness (Experiment 1) and timbre-pitch (Experiment 2)--interact in speeded classification. Subjects classified values from one dimension while the other dimension was (1) held constant (baseline), (2) varied orthogonally (filtering), or (3) correlated linearly. The subjects showed substantial Garner interference when classifying all dimensions--that is, poor performance at filtering relative to baseline. Timbre and loudness displayed redundancy gain (i.e., performance faster than baseline) when correlated positively, but redundancy loss (i.e., interference) when correlated negatively. Timbre and pitch displayed redundancy gain however dimensions were correlated. Both pairs of dimensions showed substantial effects of congruity: Attributes from one dimension were classified faster when paired with "congruent" attributes from the other dimension. The results are interpreted in terms of an interactive multichannel model of auditory processing.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008144 Loudness Perception The perceived attribute of a sound which corresponds to the physical attribute of intensity. Loudness Perceptions,Perception, Loudness,Perceptions, Loudness
D008297 Male Males
D010897 Pitch Discrimination The ability to differentiate sound frequency or pitch. Discrimination, Pitch,Pitch Discriminations
D011571 Psychoacoustics The science pertaining to the interrelationship of psychologic phenomena and the individual's response to the physical properties of sound. Psychoacoustic
D011930 Reaction Time The time from the onset of a stimulus until a response is observed. Response Latency,Response Speed,Response Time,Latency, Response,Reaction Times,Response Latencies,Response Times,Speed, Response,Speeds, Response
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D001288 Attention Focusing on certain aspects of current experience to the exclusion of others. It is the act of heeding or taking notice or concentrating. Focus of Attention,Selective Attention,Social Attention,Attention Focus,Attention, Selective,Attention, Social,Selective Attentions

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