Detection of Chinese Vowels in Noise and Its Auditory Simulation Model

The goal of this study was to examine detection thresholds of three Chinese vowels in long-term speech-shaped (LTSS) noise. Results showed that vowel detection thresholds were significantly affected by Mandarin tones, but not by vowel category. An auditory simulation model based on excitation-pattern computation was conducted to predict detection thresholds in LTSS noise and indicated that the pattern of predicted thresholds was not well matched with the pattern of behavioral thresholds. These results suggest that detection of Chinese vowels was dependent on not only vowel spectrum, but also tonal pitch, especially when tonal pitch changes dramatically over the time.