The effect of signal-temporal uncertainty on detection in bursts of noise or a random-frequency complex.

This study examined the effect of signal-temporal uncertainty on detection of a 120-ms, 1-kHz tone in the presence of a continuous sequence of 120-ms bursts of either a broadband noise or a random-frequency, two-tone complex. Using the method of constant stimuli, signal-temporal uncertainty was defined as the difference in threshold across temporally uncertain and temporally defined listening conditions. Results indicted an average effect of signal-temporal uncertainty of 2 dB for the noise masker compared to 9 dB for the random-frequency, two-tone masker. These results suggest that signal-temporal uncertainty may be more detrimental for conditions in which informational masking dominates performance.