A New Approach to Sound Source Identification

描述(申请人提供)：我们严格依赖于我们从声音中识别简单物体和事件的能力，以便在日常听力中正常发挥作用。然而，尽管它很重要，人们对这种能力知之甚少。一种新的心理物理方法有望改变这种情况。摄动分析作为揭示物体识别背后的决策过程的一种手段，最近在视觉方面取得了成功。本文将其应用于基本声源及其属性的听觉识别。应用程序分三个阶段进行：首先，从理论声学出发，根据简单共振源的运动方程合成它们的声音。第二，根据回归权重确定听者决策策略，该回归权重将听者的判断与运动方程所指示的声学参数中的合法扰动联系起来。第三，通过将获得的权重和残差与最大似然观测器的权值和残差进行比较来识别处理中的极限，该最大似然观测器基于对于被判断的源属性(S)唯一的声学信息进行决策。这种方法比过去的方法有了很大的进步，过去的方法是根据性能的准确性或根据在非法对抗中放置声学提示的效果来推断决策策略。具体目标是：(1)准确地确定听者如何使用多个声学信息源来识别基本声源及其属性，(2)使用训练反馈和指导来隔离限制识别的因素，以及(3)测试用于预测结果的一般理论框架，在该框架中，不太准确但在感知上更稳健的声学提示为识别提供了可行的基础。通过促进我们对声源识别背后的正常过程的理解，这一结果可能被证明是开发更有效地处理听力障碍对日常听力的影响的技术和康复策略的关键。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We rely critically on our ability to identify simple objects and events from sound to function normally in everyday listening. Yet, despite its importance, little is known regarding this ability. A new psychophysical method promises to change this situation. Perturbation analysis has enjoyed recent success in vision as a means of revealing decision processes underlying object identification. Here it is applied to the auditory identification of elementary sound sources and their attributes. The application proceeds in three stages: First, the sounds of simple resonant sources are synthesized according to their equations of motion from theoretical acoustics. Second, listener decision strategy is determined from regression weights relating listener judgments to lawful perturbations in acoustic parameters as dictated by the equations for motion. Third, limits in processing are identified by comparing the obtained weights and residuals to those of a maximum-likelihood observer that bases decisions on acoustic information unique to the source attribute(s) being judged. The approach represents a significant advance over past methods that infer decision strategy from performance accuracy or from the effect of placing acoustic cues in unlawful opposition. Specific aims are: (1) to determine precisely how listeners use multiple sources of acoustic information to identify rudimentary sound sources and their attributes, (2) to isolate the factors that limit identification using training feedback and instruction, and (3) to test a general theoretical framework for predicting results in which less accurate though perceptually more robust acoustic cues offer a viable basis for identification. By advancing our understanding of the normal processes underlying sound source identification the results may prove key in the development of technologies and rehabilitative strategies that deal more effectively with the impact of dysfunctional hearing on everyday listening.