Thresholds & Temporal Integration

Question 1

Describe time-intensity trading of detection thresholds.

Answer 1

-Because Power= Energy/Time and Energy= Power*Time:

• Longer durations have more energy, shorter durations less energy
  so. ..
• Longer durations require less power to be detected, shorter durations more power

Question 2

What is the multiple looks theory?

Answer 2

-Threshold improves with increased duration because a longer stimulus provides more opportunities (more chances) to detect the stimulus through repeated sampling

Question 3

How does Viemeister & Wakefield (1991) support multiple looks theory?

Answer 3

• Experiment 2:
• Thresholds improve with 2 pulses compared to 1
• Listeners combined information from the 2 pulses (more opportunities to detect threshold)
• Suggests shorter integration window for pulses (multiple looks stored in memory then selectively used to resolve the resolution-integration paradox)