Abstract
Two experiments relating to the discrimination of the pitches of pure tones are described. The first deals with the frequency difference limen (DL) as a function of frequency and duration. The second compares the frequency DL and the intensity DL for two modes of presentation, ipsilateral and contralateral. The results indicate a change in behaviour at about 4-5kHz, and are consistent with a change from a temporal to a place mechanism at about that frequency. The possible role of temporal mechanisms, which utilise the information in the time-pattern of nerve impulses, in other aspects of auditory perception are discussed. It is suggested that these mechanisms may be involved in masking, and in the perception of complex tones, and that a loss of temporal information may account for some of the perceptual deficits observed in cases of sensorineural deafness. The possible use of the frequency DL for short duration tones as a diagnostic tool is discussed.