Abstract
This study investigated the development of auditory frequency and temporal resolution using simultaneous and backward masking of a tone by a noise. The participants were 6- to 10-year-old children and adults. On the measure of frequency resolution (the difference in the detection threshold for a tone presented either in a bandpass noise or in a spectrally notched noise), 6-year-old children performed as well as adults. However, for the backward masking task, 6-year-olds had, on average, 34 dB higher thresholds than adults. A negative exponential decay function fitted to the backward masking data for subjects of all ages indicated that adult-like temporal resolution may not be reached until about 11 years of age. These results show that, measured by masking, frequency resolution has reached adult-like performance by 6 years of age, whereas temporal resolution develops beyond 10 years of age. Six-year-old children were also assessed with tests of cognitive ability. Improvements in both frequency and temporal resolution were found with increasing IQ score.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1402-1415 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2000 |
Keywords
- Auditory development
- Intelligence
- Middle ear disease
- Spectral resolution
- Temporal resolution
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Language and Linguistics
- Linguistics and Language
- Speech and Hearing