Pitch for nonsimultaneous successive harmonics in quiet and noise.

Pitch perception was studied with respect to nonsimultaneous successive harmonics of fundamentals in quiet and noise. Stimuli consisted of three nonoverlapping sine waves each of 40-msec duration. Pitch perception, examined by discrimination and matching, was found to correspond to spectral frequency in quiet and fundamental frequency in noise. The results suggest a pitch processor that integrates over time (synthetic mode) in noise and analyzes spectral components (analytic mode) in quiet. The findings are discussed with respect to current theories of pitch perception and auditory integrative functions. The findings are thought to be particularly relevant to analytic and synthetic modes of pitch perception.