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Can the spectral representation of the auditory peripheral system explain vowel production changes under noises masking lower formants?

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Title: Can the spectral representation of the auditory peripheral system explain vowel production changes under noises masking lower formants?
Authors: Uezu, Yasufumi1 (AUTHOR) y-uezu@jaist.ac.jp, Akagi, Masato1 (AUTHOR), Unoki, Masashi1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Sep2025, Vol. 158 Issue 3, p1737-1750. 14p.
Subjects: Auditory masking, Vowels, Spectral analysis (Phonetics), Resonance, Auditory pathways
Abstract: This study examines how auditory spectral representations in the peripheral auditory system explain changes in vowel production under noisy conditions, especially when lower formants (F1 and F2) are masked. Ten adult male Japanese speakers produced sustained vowels /a/ and /i/ under quiet and noisy conditions involving three noise types (broadband, low-pass, and high-pass) at 75 and 85 dB. We analyzed vocal intensity and the amplitudes and frequencies of the F1 and F2. Auditory spectral representations, simulated using a loudness model, were used to estimate excitation patterns in the auditory periphery. Most noise conditions significantly increased vocal intensity and the amplitude of both formants. F1 frequency consistently shifted upward under high-intensity broadband noise, while F2 shifts depended on vowel and noise type, shifting upward for /a/ and downward for /i/. Some patterns could not be explained by power spectra alone. Instead, they were better accounted for by frequency-specific masking effects, reflected in overlapping excitation patterns in the auditory spectral representation. These overlaps indicated reduced self-audibility in specific frequency bands, triggering compensatory adjustments. The findings highlight how auditory masking influences speech production, supporting a perceptually grounded model of auditory-motor control in noisy environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of the Acoustical Society of America is the property of American Institute of Physics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
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DbLabel: Engineering Source
An: 188360398
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PubTypeId: academicJournal
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  Data: Can the spectral representation of the auditory peripheral system explain vowel production changes under noises masking lower formants?
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Uezu%2C+Yasufumi%22">Uezu, Yasufumi</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> y-uezu@jaist.ac.jp</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Akagi%2C+Masato%22">Akagi, Masato</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Unoki%2C+Masashi%22">Unoki, Masashi</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+the+Acoustical+Society+of+America%22">Journal of the Acoustical Society of America</searchLink>. Sep2025, Vol. 158 Issue 3, p1737-1750. 14p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Auditory+masking%22">Auditory masking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vowels%22">Vowels</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spectral+analysis+%28Phonetics%29%22">Spectral analysis (Phonetics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resonance%22">Resonance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Auditory+pathways%22">Auditory pathways</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This study examines how auditory spectral representations in the peripheral auditory system explain changes in vowel production under noisy conditions, especially when lower formants (F1 and F2) are masked. Ten adult male Japanese speakers produced sustained vowels /a/ and /i/ under quiet and noisy conditions involving three noise types (broadband, low-pass, and high-pass) at 75 and 85 dB. We analyzed vocal intensity and the amplitudes and frequencies of the F1 and F2. Auditory spectral representations, simulated using a loudness model, were used to estimate excitation patterns in the auditory periphery. Most noise conditions significantly increased vocal intensity and the amplitude of both formants. F1 frequency consistently shifted upward under high-intensity broadband noise, while F2 shifts depended on vowel and noise type, shifting upward for /a/ and downward for /i/. Some patterns could not be explained by power spectra alone. Instead, they were better accounted for by frequency-specific masking effects, reflected in overlapping excitation patterns in the auditory spectral representation. These overlaps indicated reduced self-audibility in specific frequency bands, triggering compensatory adjustments. The findings highlight how auditory masking influences speech production, supporting a perceptually grounded model of auditory-motor control in noisy environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of the Acoustical Society of America is the property of American Institute of Physics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=188360398
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1121/10.0039109
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 1737
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Auditory masking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Vowels
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Spectral analysis (Phonetics)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Resonance
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      – SubjectFull: Auditory pathways
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      – TitleFull: Can the spectral representation of the auditory peripheral system explain vowel production changes under noises masking lower formants?
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            NameFull: Uezu, Yasufumi
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            NameFull: Akagi, Masato
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            NameFull: Unoki, Masashi
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            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Text: Sep2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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