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The Journal of the Acoustical Society... Aug 2023Web-based testing is an appealing option for expanding psychoacoustics research outside laboratory environments due to its simple logistics. For example, research...
Web-based testing is an appealing option for expanding psychoacoustics research outside laboratory environments due to its simple logistics. For example, research participants partake in listening tasks using their own computer and audio hardware and can participate in a comfortable environment of their choice at their own pace. However, it is unknown how deviations from conventional in-lab testing affect data quality, particularly in binaural hearing tasks that traditionally require highly precise audio presentation. Here, we used an online platform to replicate two published in-lab experiments: lateralization to interaural time and level differences (ITD and ILD, experiment I) and dichotic and contralateral unmasking of speech (experiment II) in normal-hearing (NH) young adults. Lateralization data collected online were strikingly similar to in-lab results. Likewise, the amount of unmasking measured online and in-lab differed by less than 1 dB, although online participants demonstrated higher speech reception thresholds overall than those tested in-lab by up to ∼7 dB. Results from online participants who completed a hearing screening versus those who self-reported NH did not differ significantly. We conclude that web-based psychoacoustics testing is a viable option for assessing binaural hearing abilities among young NH adults and discuss important considerations for online study design.
Topics: Young Adult; Humans; Psychoacoustics; Speech Perception; Hearing; Auditory Perception; Internet
PubMed: 37556566
DOI: 10.1121/10.0020567 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2023Aeroacoustic noise in multiple rotor drones has been increasingly recognized as a crucial issue, while noise reduction is normally associated with a trade-off between...
Aeroacoustic noise in multiple rotor drones has been increasingly recognized as a crucial issue, while noise reduction is normally associated with a trade-off between aerodynamic performance and sound suppression as well as sound quality improvement. Here, we propose an integrated methodology to evaluate both aeroacoustics and psychoacoustics of a single propeller. For a loop-type propeller, an experimental investigation was conducted in association with its aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics via a hover stand test in an anechoic chamber; the psychoacoustic performance was then examined with psychoacoustic annoyance models to evaluate five psychoacoustic metrics comprising loudness, fluctuation strength, roughness, sharpness, and tonality. A comparison of the figure of merit (FM), the overall sound pressure level (OASPL) and psychoacoustic metrics was undertaken among a two-blade propeller, a four-blade propeller, the loop-type propeller, a wide chord loop-type propeller, and a DJI Phantom III propeller, indicating that the loop-type propeller enables a remarkable reduction in OASPL and a noticeable improvement in sound quality while achieving comparable aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, the psychoacoustic analysis demonstrates that the loop-type propeller can improve the psychological response to various noises in terms of the higher-level broadband and lower-level tonal noise components. It is thus verified that the integrated evaluation methodology of aeroacoustics and psychoacoustics can be a useful tool in the design of low-noise propellers in association with multirotor drones.
Topics: Psychoacoustics; Noise; Sound; Acoustics; Benchmarking
PubMed: 36767321
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031955 -
Neuroscience Oct 2018Music is a curious example of a temporally patterned acoustic stimulus, and a compelling pan-cultural phenomenon. This review strives to bring some insights from decades... (Review)
Review
Music is a curious example of a temporally patterned acoustic stimulus, and a compelling pan-cultural phenomenon. This review strives to bring some insights from decades of music psychology and sensorimotor synchronization (SMS) literature into the mainstream auditory domain, arguing that musical rhythm perception is shaped in important ways by temporal processing mechanisms in the brain. The feature that unites these disparate disciplines is an appreciation of the central importance of timing, sequencing, and anticipation. Perception of musical rhythms relies on an ability to form temporal predictions, a general feature of temporal processing that is equally relevant to auditory scene analysis, pattern detection, and speech perception. By bringing together findings from the music and auditory literature, we hope to inspire researchers to look beyond the conventions of their respective fields and consider the cross-disciplinary implications of studying auditory temporal sequence processing. We begin by highlighting music as an interesting sound stimulus that may provide clues to how temporal patterning in sound drives perception. Next, we review the SMS literature and discuss possible neural substrates for the perception of, and synchronization to, musical beat. We then move away from music to explore the perceptual effects of rhythmic timing in pattern detection, auditory scene analysis, and speech perception. Finally, we review the neurophysiology of general timing processes that may underlie aspects of the perception of rhythmic patterns. We conclude with a brief summary and outlook for future research.
Topics: Animals; Auditory Perception; Humans; Music; Psychoacoustics; Time Factors
PubMed: 29108832
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.10.041 -
Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America Aug 2020The search for an effective medication that will eliminate tinnitus has a long history. Currently, no drugs exist that universally cure tinnitus. Pharmacologic... (Review)
Review
The search for an effective medication that will eliminate tinnitus has a long history. Currently, no drugs exist that universally cure tinnitus. Pharmacologic interventions that have been investigated can be divided into those that attempt to eliminate the perception of tinnitus, and those that are designed to treat the negative comorbidities associated with tinnitus, thereby mitigating tinnitus' negative impact on quality of life. A third category of drugs can also be considered that addresses an identified pathologic condition that has tinnitus as an associated symptom (for example, Meniere's disease, otosclerosis, migraine-associated vertigo). This third category is not addressed.
Topics: Anxiety; Depression; Humans; Meniere Disease; Neurotransmitter Agents; Otosclerosis; Psychoacoustics; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Tinnitus; Vertigo
PubMed: 32334873
DOI: 10.1016/j.otc.2020.03.009 -
Scientific Reports May 2021Misophonia is a condition where a strong arousal response is triggered when hearing specific human generated sounds, like chewing, and/or repetitive tapping noises, like...
Misophonia is a condition where a strong arousal response is triggered when hearing specific human generated sounds, like chewing, and/or repetitive tapping noises, like pen clicking. It is diagnosed with clinical interviews and questionnaires since no psychoacoustic tools exist to assess its presence. The present study was aimed at developing and testing a new assessment tool for misophonia. The method was inspired by an approach we have recently developed for hyperacusis. It consisted of presenting subjects (n = 253) with misophonic, pleasant, and unpleasant sounds in an online experiment. The task was to rate them on a pleasant to unpleasant visual analog scale. Subjects were labeled as misophonics (n = 78) or controls (n = 55) by using self-report questions and a misophonia questionnaire, the MisoQuest. There was a significant difference between controls and misophonics in the median global rating of misophonic sounds. On the other hand, median global rating of unpleasant, and pleasant sounds did not differ significantly. We selected a subset of the misophonic sounds to form the core discriminant sounds of misophonia (CDS). A metric: the CDS score, was used to quantitatively measure misophonia, both with a global score and with subscores. The latter could specifically quantify aversion towards different sound sources/events, i.e., mouth, breathing/nose, throat, and repetitive sounds. A receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the method accurately classified subjects with and without misophonia (accuracy = 91%). The present study suggests that the psychoacoustic test we have developed can be used to assess misophonia reliably and quickly.
Topics: Adult; Affective Symptoms; Arousal; Emotions; Female; Humans; Hyperacusis; Male; Psychoacoustics; Self Report; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34040061
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90355-8 -
Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 2018Tinnitus is a difficult to treat symptom, with different responses in patients. It is classified in different ways, according to its origin and associated diseases.
INTRODUCTION
Tinnitus is a difficult to treat symptom, with different responses in patients. It is classified in different ways, according to its origin and associated diseases.
OBJECTIVE
to propose a single and measurable classification of persistent tinnitus, through its perception as sounds of nature or of daily life and its comparison with pure tone or noise, of high or low pitch, presented to the patient by audiometer sound.
METHODS
A total of 110 adult patients, of both genders, treated at the Tinnitus Outpatient Clinic, were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Otorhinolaryngologic and Audiological, Pitch Matching and Loudness, Visual Analog Scale, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Minimum Masking Level assessments were performed.
RESULTS
In these 110 patients, 181 tinnitus complaints were identified accordingly to type and ear, with 93 (51%) Pure Tone, and 88 (49%) Noise type; 19 at low and 162 at high frequency; with a mean in the Pure Tone of 5.47 in the Visual Analog Scale and 12.31 decibel in the Loudness and a mean in the Noise of 6.66 and 10.51 decibel. For Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Minimum Masking Level, the 110 patients were separated into three groups with tinnitus, Pure Tone, Noise and multiple. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory higher in the group with multiple tinnitus, of 61.38. Masking noises such as White Noise and Narrow Band were used for the Minimum Masking Level at the frequencies of 500 and 6000Hz. There was a similarity between the Pure Tone and Multiple groups. In the Noise group, different responses were found when Narrow Band was used at low frequency.
CONCLUSION
Classifying persistent tinnitus as pure tone or noise, present in high or low frequency and establishing its different characteristics allow us to know its peculiarities and the effects of this symptom in patients' lives.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Adult; Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Auditory Perception; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Psychoacoustics; Tinnitus
PubMed: 28826945
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2017.07.005 -
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews.... Sep 2020The multifaceted ability to produce, transmit, receive, and respond to acoustic signals is widespread in animals and forms the basis of the interdisciplinary science of... (Review)
Review
The multifaceted ability to produce, transmit, receive, and respond to acoustic signals is widespread in animals and forms the basis of the interdisciplinary science of bioacoustics. Bioacoustics research methods, including sound recording and playback experiments, are applicable in cognitive research that centers around the processing of information from the acoustic environment. We provide an overview of bioacoustics techniques in the context of cognitive studies and make the case for the importance of bioacoustics in the study of cognition by outlining some of the major cognitive processes in which acoustic signals are involved. We also describe key considerations associated with the recording of sound and its use in cognitive applications. Based on these considerations, we provide a set of recommendations for best practices in the recording and use of acoustic signals in cognitive studies. Our aim is to demonstrate that acoustic recordings and stimuli are valuable tools for cognitive researchers when used appropriately. In doing so, we hope to stimulate opportunities for innovative cognitive research that incorporates robust recording protocols. This article is categorized under: Neuroscience > Cognition Psychology > Theory and Methods Neuroscience > Behavior Neuroscience > Cognition.
Topics: Biomedical Research; Cognitive Neuroscience; Humans; Psychoacoustics
PubMed: 32548958
DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1538 -
Hearing Research Mar 2018Auditory research has a rich history of combining experimental evidence with computational simulations of auditory processing in order to deepen our theoretical... (Review)
Review
Auditory research has a rich history of combining experimental evidence with computational simulations of auditory processing in order to deepen our theoretical understanding of how sound is processed in the ears and in the brain. Despite significant progress in the amount of detail and breadth covered by auditory models, for many components of the auditory pathway there are still different model approaches that are often not equivalent but rather in conflict with each other. Similarly, some experimental studies yield conflicting results which has led to controversies. This can be best resolved by a systematic comparison of multiple experimental data sets and model approaches. Binaural processing is a prominent example of how the development of quantitative theories can advance our understanding of the phenomena, but there remain several unresolved questions for which competing model approaches exist. This article discusses a number of current unresolved or disputed issues in binaural modelling, as well as some of the significant challenges in comparing binaural models with each other and with the experimental data. We introduce an auditory model framework, which we believe can become a useful infrastructure for resolving some of the current controversies. It operates models over the same paradigms that are used experimentally. The core of the proposed framework is an interface that connects three components irrespective of their underlying programming language: The experiment software, an auditory pathway model, and task-dependent decision stages called artificial observers that provide the same output format as the test subject.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Auditory Pathways; Auditory Perception; Cues; Hearing; Humans; Models, Psychological; Psychoacoustics; Sound Localization; Speech Intelligibility; Speech Perception; Time Factors
PubMed: 29208336
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2017.11.010 -
The Journal of the Acoustical Society... Mar 2022The aviation sector is rapidly evolving with more electric propulsion systems and a variety of new technologies of vertical take-off and landing manned and unmanned...
The aviation sector is rapidly evolving with more electric propulsion systems and a variety of new technologies of vertical take-off and landing manned and unmanned aerial vehicles. Community noise impact is one of the main barriers for the wider adoption of these new vehicles. Within the framework of a perception-driven engineering approach, this paper investigates the relationship between sound quality and first order physical parameters in rotor systems to aid design. Three case studies are considered: (i) contra-rotating versus single rotor systems, (ii) varying blade diameter and thrust in both contra-rotating and single rotor systems, and (iii) varying rotor-rotor axial spacing in contra-rotating systems. The outcomes of a listening experiment, where participants assessed a series of sound stimuli with varying design parameters, allow a better understanding of the annoyance induced by rotor noise. Further to this, a psychoacoustic annoyance model optimised for rotor noise has been formulated. The model includes a novel psychoacoustic function to account for the perceptual effect of impulsiveness. The significance of the proposed model lies in the quantification of the effects of psychoacoustic factors, such as loudness as the dominant factor, and also tonality, high frequency content, temporal fluctuations, and impulsiveness on rotor noise annoyance.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Auditory Perception; Humans; Noise; Psychoacoustics; Sound
PubMed: 35364939
DOI: 10.1121/10.0009801 -
Behavior Research Methods Mar 2024Anonymous web-based experiments are increasingly used in many domains of behavioral research. However, online studies of auditory perception, especially of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Anonymous web-based experiments are increasingly used in many domains of behavioral research. However, online studies of auditory perception, especially of psychoacoustic phenomena pertaining to low-level sensory processing, are challenging because of limited available control of the acoustics, and the inability to perform audiometry to confirm normal-hearing status of participants. Here, we outline our approach to mitigate these challenges and validate our procedures by comparing web-based measurements to lab-based data on a range of classic psychoacoustic tasks. Individual tasks were created using jsPsych, an open-source JavaScript front-end library. Dynamic sequences of psychoacoustic tasks were implemented using Django, an open-source library for web applications, and combined with consent pages, questionnaires, and debriefing pages. Subjects were recruited via Prolific, a subject recruitment platform for web-based studies. Guided by a meta-analysis of lab-based data, we developed and validated a screening procedure to select participants for (putative) normal-hearing status based on their responses in a suprathreshold task and a survey. Headphone use was standardized by supplementing procedures from prior literature with a binaural hearing task. Individuals meeting all criteria were re-invited to complete a range of classic psychoacoustic tasks. For the re-invited participants, absolute thresholds were in excellent agreement with lab-based data for fundamental frequency discrimination, gap detection, and sensitivity to interaural time delay and level difference. Furthermore, word identification scores, consonant confusion patterns, and co-modulation masking release effect also matched lab-based studies. Our results suggest that web-based psychoacoustics is a viable complement to lab-based research. Source code for our infrastructure is provided.
Topics: Humans; Psychoacoustics; Hearing; Auditory Perception; Audiometry; Internet; Auditory Threshold; Acoustic Stimulation
PubMed: 37326771
DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02101-9