Perception and cognition of acoustic signals

Sonar operators may distinguish the sound of a submarine from the sound of a fishing trawler amidst a background of snapping shrimp. This accomplishment requires integrating auditory sensation and perception with auditory cognition, experience, and the ability to adapt to context. The fundamentals of auditory perception and cognition required for this task will be reviewed in this talk. I will cover a range of levels in the auditory system: from the ability to detect a signal in a background of noise, to the ability to distinguish a complex pattern from a complex background, to the ability to analyze the physical properties of an event. This review of both empirical data and research will cover a variety of psychoacoustic testing methods that is appropriate for different situations that are likely to be encountered in underwater signal processing, such as detection, discrimination, and identification