Auditory grouping based on fundamental frequency and formant peak frequency

The perceptual grouping of a four-tone cycle was studied as a function of differences in fundamental frequencies and the frequencies of spectral peaks. Each tone had a single formant and at least 13 harmonics. In Experiment 1 the formant was created by filtering a flat spectrum and in Experiment 2 by adding harmonics. Fundamental frequency was found to be capable of controlling grouping even when the spectra spanned exactly the same frequency range. Formant peak separation became more effective as the sharpness (amplitude of the peak relative to a spectral pedestal) increased. The effect of each type of acoustic difference depended on the task. Listeners could group the tones by either sort of difference but were also capable of resisting the disruptive effect of the other one. This was taken as evidence for the presence of a schema-based process of perceptual grouping and the relative weakness of primitive segregation.