Patterns of Individual Differences in the Perception of Missing-Fundamental Tones

Recent experimental findings suggest stable individual differences in the perception of auditory stimuli with missing fundamental frequency (F0). Specifically, some individuals readily identify the pitch of such tones with the missing F0 ('F0 listeners'), and some base their judgement on the frequency of the partials that make up the tones ('spectral listeners'). However, the diversity of goals and methods in recent research makes it difficult to draw clear conclusions about individual differences. The first purpose of this paper is to discuss the influence of methodological choices on listeners' responses. The second goal is to report findings on individual differences in our own studies of the missing-fundamental phenomenon. We conclude that there are genuine, stable individual differences underlying the diverse findings, but also that there are more than two general types of listeners, and that stimulus variables strongly affect some listeners' responses. This suggests that it is generally misleading to classify individuals as 'F0 listeners' or 'spectral listeners'. It may be more accurate to speak of two modes of perception ('F0 listening' and 'spectral listening'), both of which are available to many listeners. The individual differences lie in what conditions the choice between the two modes.