Psychophysical tuning curves in normal-hearing listeners: test reliability and probe level effects.

Psychophysical tuning curves (PTCs) were obtained from 19 normal-hearing listeners using a computer-controlled, modified Bekesy tracking procedure which employed a minimum standard error stopping rule. Using an objective procedure, 2000-Hz PTCs were quantified on five dimensions (Q10, tip-to-tail difference, d1-oct, low-frequency slope, and high-frequency slope), and the test-retest reliability of each measure was assessed. To provide a basis for future comparisons between normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners, these measures were obtained as a function of increasing probe level.