Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The onset of a noise 0.9–2.1 kHz, 55 dB SPL (A weighted) preceded that of a buzz 100 Hz, 0.5–3.0 kHz, 70 db SPL (A weighted), 500 msec by −10 to +80 msec and both terminated simultaneously. Eight adults discriminated among noise-lead times in an oddity task. In separate sessions, they labeled singly presented stimuli with either of the two responses: ’’no noise’’ or ’’noise.’’ The results are highly similar to those reported for the categorical perception of synthetic plosive consonants differing in voice-onset time. On the average, discrimination was best across a noise-lead-time boundary of about 16 msec, where labeling also shifted abruptly. These results and those of categorical perception, generally, are interpreted in terms of Weber’s law as applied to a single component within a stimulus complex. It is concluded that categorical perception of sounds is not unique to speech and suggested that it may be a general property of sensory behavior. Subject Classification: 4365.75; 4370.30.
Miller et al. (Sun,) studied this question.