Pitch of sound bursts with continuous or discontinuous change of frequency.

In an earlier study [I. V. Nábeˇlek, A. K. Nábeˇlek, and I. J. Hirsh, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 48, 536-553 (1970)] of the pitch of a sound burst with two frequencies connected by a linear frequency change (a glide), it was found that the pair of frequencies, initial and final, are sometimes perceptually fused and sometimes perceptually separated. In the present study, the pitch of the same kind of bursts is compared with the pitch bursts in which the glide is supplanted by a pause. The method of adjustment was used. Some differences in the pitch perception of bursts with glides and those with pauses were found. Prolongation of the glide made separation more difficult and fusion easier, while prolongation of the pause made separation easier and fusion more difficult. Prolongation of either the glide or the final frequency of the burst casued the pitch to be shifted toward the final frequency, while the prolongation of the pause (0-40 msec) did not change the pitch. For an explanation of this discrepancy it seems to be necessary to take central processing into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]