Resolved harmonics use place pitch coding while unresolved harmonics use temporal coding

Evidence

Houstma and Smurzynski’s data again provide support for the two models working in concert. When low frequency harmonics are resolved, f0 discrimination is very good, suggesting a place mechanism. Here, the pitch is extracted from the resolved components. Once harmonics are no longer resolved, f0 discrimination becomes more difficult, and the pitch is extracted from the temporal waveform. There would be no possible way for the ear to represent the pitch on a place-based frequency-extraction process when harmonics are not resolved. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1307

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the place vs temporal mechanism distinction and which applies depending on harmonic resolvability.
• XREF: Connects to the reader’s interest in models of perception - this institutionalizes the dual-mechanism idea basic to hearing science.