Additivity of Auditory Masking
This project implements a formal methodology for studying and modeling the auditory
processes involved in the detection of signals in the presence of complex masking
sounds. This method, termed the "measurement approach", consists of the following
components: Signal threshold is obtained in the presence two or more simple maskers
(tones or noise bands) individually and in various combinations. The maskers might be
separated in frequency, in time, or in both frequency and time. An attempt is then made
to predict the combined effect of the maskers from the individual effects of the maskers,
using basic axioms of Measurement Theory (Coombs, Dawes, and Tversky, 1970).
Specifically, mathematical transformations are sought whereby the combined masking
effects can be related to the individual effects by addition. The rationale underlying this
"measurement approach" is that the mathematical transformations, if they exist, may be
used like a model, to summarize the results of past experiments, to predict the results of
future experiments, and to shed light on the nature of the mechanisms underlying
masking by complex sounds.
Selected Publications
Lutfi, R. A. (1983a). Additivity of simultaneous masking. Journal of the Acoustical
Society of America, 73, 262-267. *
Lutfi, R. A. (1983b). Simultaneous masking and unmasking with bandlimited noise.
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 73, 899-905. *
Lutfi, R. A. (1984). Predicting frequency selectivity in forward masking from
simultaneous masking. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 76,
1045-1050. *
Lutfi, R. A. (1985a). A power-law transformation predicting masking by sounds with
complex spectra. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 77, 2128-2136. *
Lutfi, R. A. (1985b). A reply to Dr. B. C. J. Moore [Journal of the Acoustical Society
of America, 78, 253-255 (1985)]. Journal of the Acoustical Society of
America, 78, 255-257. *
Lutfi, R. A. (1986). Two- versus four-tone masking, revisited. Journal of the
Acoustical Society of America, 80, 422-428. *
Weber, D. A., & Lutfi, R. A. (1986). The unimportance of suppression. Auditory
Frequency Selectivity, A NATO Advanced Workshop, B. C. J. Moore & R. D.
Patterson, (eds.) Plenum: New York. *
Lutfi, R. A. (1987). Masking additivity in the hearing-impaired. Hearing
Research, 25, 3-10. *
Lutfi, R. A. (1988a). Interpreting measures of frequency selectivity: Is forward
masking special? Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 83, 163-
177. *
Lutfi, R. A. (1988b). Complex interactions between pairs of forward maskers.
Hearing Research, 35, 71-78. *
Lutfi, R. A. (1990b). How much masking is informational masking? Journal of the
Acoustical Society of America, 88, 2607-2610.