Summary
-
1.
Frequency and intensity difference limens were determined for the housemouse (Mus musculus, outbred strain NMRI) between 1 kHz and 80 kHz and for sound pressure levels (SPLs) between 15 dB and 100 dB re. 0.0002 dyn/cm2.
-
2.
The frequency difference limens (Δf s ) decrease linearly with increasing SPL. The slopes (a) of the regression lines are frequency dependent (¦a¦=p·/tfq;p andq are constants) with ¦a¦ being maximal at 15 kHz. An intensity independent level of the smallest noticeable frequency differenceΔf m is reached at a definite SPL (L Δfm ) which is always 60 dB above the absolute hearing threshold (L HS ) at each frequency tested (L Δfm -LHS=const.). The relative frequency difference limenΔf m /f was nearly constant and equal to 0.85%.
-
3.
The intensity difference limens (ΔL s ) decrease with increasing SPL. The interdependence can be approximated by a linear or a power function (ΔL s =−0.05·SL+7;ΔL s =0.04· SL+120·SL−1; SL=sensation level). The difference limens (ΔL s ) are frequency dependent (ΔL s =d·f e·SL) at low sensation levels. The equationΔI=g·I 0.95 (I=sound intensity) shows a near miss of Weber's law. The relative averaged difference limen (ΔL s /SL) amounts to 6.7% at 60 dB SL.
-
4.
The results agree well with a model of a spectrum-excitation-transformation on the basilar membrane (Maiwald, 1967). In addition, a new frequency dependent nonlinearity of the mammalian ear is defined. It influences frequency and intensity discrimination in the same manner and can be expressed in a power function of the frequency summarized in the proportion:Δf∼ΔL s ∼f z·L.
-
5.
Comparative aspects of difference limens in man and other mammals are discussed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Békésy, G. v.: Experiments in hearing. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company 1960
Boring, E. D.: The size of the differential limen for pitch. Amer. J. Psychol.53, 450–455 (1940)
Dimmick, F. L., Olson, R. M.: The intensive difference limen in audition. J. acoust. Soc. Amer.12, 517–525 (1941)
Dworkin, S.: Pitch and intensity discrimination by cats. Amer. J. Physiol.112, 1–4 (1935)
Ehret, G.: Age-dependent hearing loss in normal hearing mice. Naturwissenschaften61, 506 (1974)
Elliott, D. N., McGee, T. M.: Effect of cochlear lesions upon audiograms and intensity discrimination in cats. Ann. oto-rhino-laryng.74, 386–408 (1965)
Elliott, D. N., Stein, L., Harrison, M. J.: Determination of absolute-intensity thresholds and frequency-difference thresholds in cats. J. acoust. Soc. Amer.32, 380–384 (1960)
Fay, R. R.: Auditory frequency discrimination in vertebrates. J. acoust. Soc. Amer.56, 206–209 (1974)
Goldstein, J. L., Kiang, N. Y. S.: Neural correlates of the aural combination tone 2f 1–f 2. Proc. IEEE.56, 981–992 (1968)
Hack, M. H.: Auditory intensity discrimination in the rat. J. comp. physiol. Psychol.74, 315–318 (1971)
Harris, J. D.: Pitch discrimination. J. acoust. Soc. Amer.24, 750–755 (1952)
Harris, J. D.: Loudness discrimination. J. Speech Hearing Dis. Suppl.11 (1963)
Heffner, R., Heffner, H., Masterton, B.: Behavioral measurements of absolute and frequency-difference thresholds in guinea pig. J. acoust. Soc. Amer.49, 1888–1895 (1971)
Henry, F. M.: Audition in the white rat. J. comp. Physiol.26, 45–62 (1938)
Kiang, N. Y. S.: Discharge patterns of single fibers in the cat's auditory nerve. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., Res. Monograph35 (1965)
Kim, D. O., Molnar, C. E., Pfeiffer, R. R.: A system of nonlinear differential equations modeling basilar-membrane motion. J. acoust. Soc. Amer.54, 1517–1529 (1973)
Knudsen, V. O.: The sensibility of the ear to small differences of intensity and frequency. Phys. Rev.21, 84–102 (1923)
Kuhl, W., Schodder, G. R., Schröder, F. K.: Condenser transmitters and microphones with solid dielectrics for airborne ultrasonics. Acustica4, 19–32 (1954)
Maiwald, D.: Ein Funktionsschema des Gehörs zur Beschreibung der Erkennbarkeit kleiner Frequenz- und Amplitudenänderungen. Acustica18, 81–92 (1967)
McGill, W. J., Goldberg, J. P.: Pure-tone intensity discrimination and energy detection. J. acoust. Soc. Amer.44, 576–581 (1968)
McGill, W. J., Goldberg, J. P.: A study of near-miss involving Weber's law and pure-tone intensity discrimination. Perception Psychophysics4, 105–109 (1968)
Raab, D. H., Ades, H. W.: Cortical and midbrain mediation of a conditioned discrimination of acoustic intensities. Amer. J. Psychol.59, 59–83 (1946)
Rhode, W. S.: Observations of the vibration of the basilar membrane in squirrel monkeys using the Mössbauer technique. J. acoust. Soc. Amer.49, 1218–1231 (1971)
Riesz, R. R.: Differential intensity sensitivity of the ear for pure tones. Phys. Rev.31, 867–875 (1928)
Robles, L., Rhode, W. S.: Nonlinear effects in the transient response of the basilar membrane. In: Facts and models in hearing. (E. Zwicker and E. Terhardt, eds.) Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1974
Rosenzweig, M.: Discrimination of auditory intensities in the cat. Amer. J. Psychol.59, 127–136 (1946)
Shower, E. G., Biddulph, R.: Differential pitch sensitivity of the ear. J. acoust. Soc. Amer.3, 275–278 (1931)
Terman, M.: Discrimination of auditory intensities by rats. J. exp. Anal. Behav.13, 145–160 (1970)
Thompson, R. F.: The effect of training procedure upon auditory frequency discrimination in the cat. J. comp. physiol. Psychol.52, 186–190 (1959)
Zwicker, E.: Die Grenzen der Hörbarkeit der Amplitudenmodulation und der Frequenzmodulation eines Tones. Acustica2, Beih. 3, 125–133 (1952)
Zwicker, E.: Die elementaren Grundlagen zur Bestimmung der Informationskapazität des Gehörs. Acustica6, 365–381 (1956)
Zwicker, E.: Masking and psychological excitation as consequences of the ear's frequency analysis. In: Frequency analysis and periodicity detection in hearing. (R. Plomp and G. F. Smoorenburg, eds.). Leiden: Sijthoff 1970
Zwicker, E., Feldtkeller, R.: Das Ohr als Nachrichtenempfänger. Stuttgart: Hirzel 1967
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
With support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, grant to Prof. Dr. H. Markl (Ma 374/2 and 741,29-3), whom I wish to thank for his advice and critical discussions.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ehret, G. Frequency and intensity difference limens and nonlinearities in the ear of the housemouse (Mus musculus). J. Comp. Physiol. 102, 321–336 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01464344
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01464344