Suppression effects for complex stimuli

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Abstract
A pulsation-threshold paradigm was used to evaluate [human] suppression effects within complex stimuli. Stimuli were chosen to represent a continuum of spectral complexity ranging from sinusoids to complexes with 1 and 2 suppressors. Apparently, suppression effects exist between the response to components of complex stimuli. For frequencies above a single suppressor, the suppression region is broad whereas below a suppressor, the region is relatively narrow. With 2 suppressors, little additivity of suppression is seen. When they are spaced closely, the response to the higher-frequency suppressor is reduced, presumably due to the low-frequency suppressor; this tends to diminish spectral contrasts despite considerable suppression at frequencies between the 2 suppressors. Enhancement of contrasts is greatest when suppressors are widely spaced and when both are presented at moderate levels (.ltoreq. 60 dB SPL [sound pressure level]). Apparently, suppression may not play a simple role of peak enhancement in the peripheral coding of steady-state vowels.

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