Masking is quantified as the threshold elevation a masker produces.

Evidence

The amount of masking is typically measured using two conditions: an unmasked condition and a masked condition. The unmasked condition is essentially the same as detection in quiet, akin to measuring absolute threshold. In the masked condition, the threshold for the same stimulus is then measured in the presence of the masker. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 442

Categorization

Category: Definitional Content

• DEFINE: Defines the operational measure of masking as masked minus unmasked threshold.

Related

• Masking is quantified as the threshold shift between unmasked and masked conditions. (similarity 0.95)
• Masked threshold always exceeds quiet threshold except when masker and test frequencies differ greatly (similarity 0.90)
• Masking operates on a continuous scale between audible and fully masked. (similarity 0.87)
• Masking depends on acoustic relationships between masker and signal, not on subjective noise. (similarity 0.87)
• Masking is quantified by the shift in a listener’s hearing-threshold curve (similarity 0.87)
• Simultaneous masking raises a test tone’s just-audible level above threshold in quiet. (similarity 0.86)
• A masker’s intensity, frequency content, and temporal pattern determine its masking capability. (similarity 0.86)
• Masking occurs when one sound interferes with perceiving another (similarity 0.86)
• Speech masking thresholds are estimated adaptively by adjusting relative talker levels. (similarity 0.85)
• Masking effectiveness depends on masker-signal power, frequency, and timing relationships (similarity 0.85)
• Masking is graded, with partial masking reducing loudness rather than audibility. (similarity 0.85)
• Masking increments peak when the two individual maskers yield equal threshold shifts (similarity 0.84)
• Masking experiments infer auditory representation from masker effects on signals. (similarity 0.84)
• Masking reduces to a comparison of excitation-level patterns over frequency and time (similarity 0.84)
• Masking noise prevents listeners from using unintended spectral cues (similarity 0.84)