The effect of target/masker fundamental frequency contour similarity on masked-speech recognition

Lauren Calandruccio; Peter A Wasiuk; Emily Buss; Lori J Leibold; Jessica Kong; Ann Holmes; Jacob Oleson

doi:10.1121/1.5121314

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The effect of target/masker fundamental frequency contour similarity on masked-speech recognition

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The effect of target/masker fundamental frequency contour similarity on masked-speech recognition

Lauren Calandruccio, Peter A Wasiuk, Emily Buss, Lori J Leibold, Jessica Kong, Ann Holmes and Jacob Oleson

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol.146(2), pp.1065-1076

08/2019

DOI: 10.1121/1.5121314

PMCID: PMC6690832

PMID: 31472562

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6690832View

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Abstract

Greater informational masking is observed when the target and masker speech are more perceptually similar. Fundamental frequency (f0) contour, or the dynamic movement of f0, is thought to provide cues for segregating target speech presented in a speech masker. Most of the data demonstrating this effect have been collected using digitally modified stimuli. Less work has been done exploring the role of f0 contour for speech-in-speech recognition when all of the stimuli have been produced naturally. The goal of this project was to explore the importance of target and masker f0 contour similarity by manipulating the speaking style of talkers producing the target and masker speech streams. Sentence recognition thresholds were evaluated for target and masker speech that was produced with either flat, normal, or exaggerated speaking styles; performance was also measured in speech spectrum shaped noise and for conditions in which the stimuli were processed through an ideal-binary mask. Results confirmed that similarities in f0 contour depth elevated speech-in-speech recognition thresholds; however, when the target and masker had similar contour depths, targets with normal f0 contours were more resistant to masking than targets with flat or exaggerated contours. Differences in energetic masking across stimuli cannot account for these results.

Psychological and Physiological Acoustics

Details

Title: Subtitle: The effect of target/masker fundamental frequency contour similarity on masked-speech recognition
Creators: Lauren Calandruccio - Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University
Peter A Wasiuk - Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University
Emily Buss - Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina
Lori J Leibold - Boys Town National Research Hospital
Jessica Kong - Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University
Ann Holmes - Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University
Jacob Oleson - Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol.146(2), pp.1065-1076
DOI: 10.1121/1.5121314
PMID: 31472562
PMCID: PMC6690832
NLM abbreviation: J Acoust Soc Am
ISSN: 0001-4966
eISSN: 1520-8524
Publisher: American Institute of Physics
Grant note: R03DC015074 / ; ;
Alternative title: Target/masker fundamental frequency contour similarity
Language: English
Date published: 08/2019
Academic Unit: Biostatistics
Record Identifier: 9984214679202771

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