Revision 7T · Full Tutorial Edition · Updated 1 September 2026
PWR-077 · SELF GUIDED full tutorial
Judge whether one sound contains a gap, using random trials and a repeatable rule
People can learn a particular auditory timing test; that does not prove a universally faster ear. Auditory temporal resolution can be practised on a defined gap-detection task. The learner distinguishes continuous from interrupted sounds, begins with obvious gaps, uses random gap/no-gap trials, answers before feedback and retests unfamiliar carriers. A home result is not an auditory diagnosis. Gap position is varied separately from gap duration because a centred break and a break near sound onset may have different detection difficulty even when the silent interval is identical.
What you will produceThe learner completes two supplied 24-trial gap/no-gap blocks and reports hits by 80-, 40-, 20- and 12-ms gap, early/centre/late position, misses, false alarms, confidence and symptoms without calling the home result a hearing threshold.
Full step-by-step individual tutorial · TLU-PWR-077
The learner completes two supplied 24-trial gap/no-gap blocks and reports hits by 80-, 40-, 20- and 12-ms gap, early/centre/late position, misses, false alarms, confidence and symptoms without calling the home result a hearing threshold.
Answer continuous or interrupted once for every coded Set A carrier and score hits by 80/40/20/12 ms plus no-gap false alarms.
Compare early/centre/late positions, reject click-contaminated files and run the 750-Hz Set B after 48 hours at the same comfortable setting.
Use usual hearing support and speech, symbols or switches while preserving carrier timing and one-play rule.
Qualified help is required for
Audiological assessment of temporal processing, hearing loss or speech-understanding difficulty and interpretation of a sudden/new symptom.
Using timing performance for communication treatment, hearing-device settings, work safety or another consequential judgment.
Changing hearing-device/cochlear-implant programmes or clinical auditory training.
Never do this from the page alone
Raise volume for shorter gaps, replay misses, leave an edit click or reveal the N/gap code before the response.
Call one 12-ms hit a threshold, diagnosis or proof of faster speech/music processing.
Continue with ear pain, louder tinnitus, fullness, dizziness, headache, distorted carrier or listening fatigue.
2 · Get ready
Gather what you need and check the starting conditions
What you need
A helper or audio editor creates 1,000-ms mono carriers at a comfortable exported level. Set A uses pink noise; Set B uses a 750-Hz sine. Give every file identical 20-ms outer fades. For gap files, insert a fully silent interval of 80, 40, 20 or 12 ms centred at 250 ms (E), 500 ms (C) or 750 ms (L), with matched 5-ms fade-out and fade-in immediately outside that silence; N files have no internal edit.
Coded 24-file order A: N, 80C, 40E, N, N, 20L, 12C, N, 80E, N, N, 40L, 20C, N, 12E, N, 80L, N, N, 40C, 20E, N, 12L, N. The helper hides the codes; this gives 12 no-gap trials and three trials at each gap duration with all three positions represented.
Coded 24-file transfer order B: 20E, N, N, 80L, 40C, N, 12L, N, N, 20C, 80E, N, 40L, N, N, 12C, 80C, N, 20L, N, N, 40E, 12E, N. Use it at least 48 hours later; it has the same balance but a new carrier and order.
The same playback device at one locked comfortable setting, a concealed A/B answer key and a 24-row sheet for continuous/interrupted, confidence, actual code, hit/miss/false alarm/correct rejection and symptoms.
Before you start
Use one comfortable level and do not raise it for shorter gaps.
Choose one question: continuous or interrupted?
Record device, output, carrier sound and within-sound timing.
Do not use the fixture for hearing diagnosis or sudden hearing change.
3 · The method
Follow these steps in order
Lock audio and timing
Record device, output, level, carrier duration and where the gap can occur.
Why: Temporal resolution depends on the exact waveform and playback chain.
Check: All timing/configuration fields are present.
Learn obvious anchors
Hear one continuous sound and one with a clearly long gap, then name each.
Why: Anchors establish the response labels at safe level.
Check: Both anchors are correct without replay.
Balance gap and no-gap trials
Use a concealed random order with equal or declared proportions.
Why: No-gap trials reveal false reports of gaps.
Check: The order and prevalence are documented.
Listen once and answer
Play one sound, answer continuous or interrupted, and rate confidence before feedback.
Why: One exposure and committed response preserve the trial.
Check: Answer precedes the key on every trial.
Step gap duration by rule
Run every supplied A trial in order without selecting durations from earlier answers. After scoring, compare the three opportunities at each of 80, 40, 20 and 12 ms; do not promote the shortest lucky response to a threshold.
Why: A fixed balanced block exposes the neighbouring-duration pattern without an improvised staircase or cherry-picked stopping point.
Check: The sheet contains three keyed gap trials at every duration and all 12 no-gap controls.
Classify miss and false alarm
A missed gap and a reported gap in a continuous sound are scored separately.
Why: One percent correct hides response bias.
Check: Each error has one category.
Retest a new carrier
At least 48 hours later, run supplied Set B once. Its 750-Hz carrier is new but durations, positions, ramps, response question and comfortable level rule match Set A.
Why: New carrier tests limited transfer beyond a memorised waveform.
Check: Carrier is new and level remains fixed.
Balance gap position
For each duration, compare its E, C and L trial rather than grouping only by milliseconds. Mark a position pattern as descriptive because there is only one trial per duration-position cell.
Why: A timing-position weakness can be mistaken for a shorter gap limit if every hard gap occurs near one edge.
Check: Each gap position has valid trials and the learner names any position-specific miss pattern.
Confirm the carrier edge
Add no-gap controls with the same onset and offset ramps as the gap trials, and listen to an unscored waveform check before the block.
Why: Clicks or ramp differences can reveal the answer without genuine silent-gap detection.
Check: Gap and no-gap files share the declared ramps and produce no obvious click cue at comfortable level.
4 · Worked example
See the whole method used once
Scenario
Ruth judges the supplied 24-file pink-noise Set A; she cannot see codes such as 20L or N.
Walkthrough
Ruth locks the level and learns the labels from a separate N anchor and an 80C anchor; neither anchor is counted in A.
For trials 1–4 she answers continuous, interrupted, interrupted, interrupted. The key N, 80C, 40E, N therefore gives one correct rejection, two hits and one false alarm.
She finishes all 24 trials before looking at duration totals and leaves each original answer visible.
Her gap hits are 3/3 at 80 ms, 2/3 at 40 ms, 2/3 at 20 ms and 1/3 at 12 ms; she also has two false alarms among 12 N trials.
The single 12C hit alongside 12E and 12L misses is recorded as a possible position pattern, not proof that centred 12-ms gaps are reliably detected.
After 48 hours Ruth runs Set B once at the same device setting and compares the new hit and false-alarm pattern with A.
Result
Ruth has a complete task profile: performance weakens as the named silence shortens, and no-gap false alarms remain visible. Set B tests whether that pattern survives a sine carrier; neither set is an audiological threshold.
5 · Right and wrong
Compare correct or safer execution with the common wrong version
Right and wrong comparison
Moment
Right / safer
Wrong / riskier
Why it matters
Level
Keep one comfortable locked level.
Raise volume for short gaps.
Level changes audibility and exposure.
Controls
Include random no-gap sounds.
Present a gap every time.
Without controls, a “gap” answer cannot be a false alarm.
Threshold
Use repeated trials and a declared step rule.
Call one lucky tiny-gap answer the threshold.
Chance responses occur.
Score
Separate misses and false alarms.
Use overall accuracy only.
Bias can hide inside one percentage.
Claim
Report carrier, gap location and duration.
Call it global auditory speed.
Learning is often specific to timing configuration.
Gap position
Compare early, centred and late gaps at one duration before claiming a duration limit.
Place every short gap near onset and every long gap in the centre.
Position becomes a hidden difficulty cue that confounds duration.
6 · Common mistakes
Spot the error and apply the correction
Common mistakes and corrections
Mistake
Fix
Raise volume for short gaps.
Keep one comfortable locked level.
Present a gap every time.
Include random no-gap sounds.
Call one lucky tiny-gap answer the threshold.
Use repeated trials and a declared step rule.
Use overall accuracy only.
Separate misses and false alarms.
Call it global auditory speed.
Report carrier, gap location and duration.
A click at the edited gap edge gives away the interrupted file.
Use matched ramps, inspect the waveform and discard any file with a detectable edit transient.
7 · Practice
Turn the steps into a usable skill
First session
The helper renders every A file from the recipe, listens for clicks without disclosing codes and replaces any defective edit; the learner records the playback device and comfortable setting.
The learner hears one extra N anchor and one extra 80C anchor, says continuous and interrupted, and confirms that the response labels—not gap duration—are understood.
The helper presents A's 24 files in the printed order with codes hidden; the learner hears each once, records a binary answer and confidence, and receives no trial feedback.
After the last response, the learner uncovers the key and totals hits separately at 80, 40, 20 and 12 ms, false alarms among the 12 N files, and correct rejections.
The learner also lays out the E, C and L results within each duration and flags, but does not overinterpret, a cell represented by one trial.
Set B remains concealed until the transfer session at least 48 hours later.
Repeat plan
Run Set B once after at least 48 hours, then wait a week before a helper generates another balanced order. Progress by adding a new carrier while preserving the four durations and three positions; only after two fresh blocks show a coherent neighbouring-duration pattern may the helper add one shorter duration, still at the same level.
Progress when
Accurate performance extends across several nearby gap durations.
False alarms do not rise.
Some improvement appears on a new carrier at fixed level.
Do not progress when
Playback timing, level or device changes.
Ear symptoms or fatigue appears.
The score is being treated as clinical diagnosis.
8 · Check the result
Measure what changed
Gap/no-gap response pattern across declared duration, within-sound position and carrier
How: For each 24-file block, report gap hits out of three at 80, 40, 20 and 12 ms; total misses; false alarms and correct rejections out of 12 no-gap files; and the E/C/L result inside each duration. Keep confidence, device setting, carrier and symptoms beside the counts rather than calculating a clinical threshold.
Good result: A fresh Set B or later balanced carrier shows a coherent pattern across neighbouring durations with no increase in no-gap false alarms, listening burden or playback level; isolated shortest-gap hits are reported but not used as a pass rule.
This does not prove: Declare marker spectrum, gap/interval, ear, adaptive rule and reliability; use multiple measures before any broader interpretation.
Self-check
Can you demonstrate “Learn obvious anchors”? Both anchors are correct without replay.
Can you demonstrate “Listen once and answer”? Answer precedes the key on every trial.
Can you demonstrate “Retest a new carrier”? Carrier is new and level remains fixed.
Can you show that gap and no-gap files have matched ramps and that performance is not limited to centred gaps?
9 · Stop, adapt or get help
Keep the safety boundary practical
Stop and get help
End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
If hearing drops abruptly, one ear suddenly feels markedly different or severe spinning begins, stop gap practice and seek time-sensitive clinical assessment.
Use an audiologist when timing difficulties affect speech understanding or daily function.
Accessibility and adaptations
Use symbols, speech or switches for continuous/interrupted answers.
Lengthen rests and reduce trial count while preserving waveform timing.
Keep ordinary hearing devices and record their programme.
10 · Evidence and limits
Why these instructions are here
primary research
Primary research supports rapid learning on a defined temporal gap-detection task.
Progress is saved only in this browser on this device.
Step-by-step learner mode
Each activity includes its success check, a nearby accessible alternative and an “I’m stuck” correction path. Alternatives preserve the target where possible; when they change the task, Titan labels them as related rather than equivalent.
01
Lock audio and timing
Record device, output, level, carrier duration and where the gap can occur.
Why this step exists
Temporal resolution depends on the exact waveform and playback chain.
Success check
All timing/configuration fields are present.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Record device, output, level, carrier duration and where the gap can occur.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: Call it global auditory speed.
Correction: Report carrier, gap location and duration.
Stop / get help: End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
02
Learn obvious anchors
Hear one continuous sound and one with a clearly long gap, then name each.
Why this step exists
Anchors establish the response labels at safe level.
Success check
Both anchors are correct without replay.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Hear one continuous sound and one with a clearly long gap, then name each.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “Hear one continuous sound and one with a clearly long gap, then name each.” does not yet meet this declared check: Both anchors are correct without replay.
Correction: Return to the start of “Learn obvious anchors”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “Both anchors are correct without replay.”
Stop / get help: End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
03
Balance gap and no-gap trials
Use a concealed random order with equal or declared proportions.
Why this step exists
No-gap trials reveal false reports of gaps.
Success check
The order and prevalence are documented.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Use a concealed random order with equal or declared proportions.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: Present a gap every time.
Correction: Include random no-gap sounds.
Stop / get help: End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
04
Listen once and answer
Play one sound, answer continuous or interrupted, and rate confidence before feedback.
Why this step exists
One exposure and committed response preserve the trial.
Success check
Answer precedes the key on every trial.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Play one sound, answer continuous or interrupted, and rate confidence before feedback.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “Play one sound, answer continuous or interrupted, and rate confidence before feedback.” does not yet meet this declared check: Answer precedes the key on every trial.
Correction: Return to the start of “Listen once and answer”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “Answer precedes the key on every trial.”
Stop / get help: End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
05
Step gap duration by rule
Run every supplied A trial in order without selecting durations from earlier answers. After scoring, compare the three opportunities at each of 80, 40, 20 and 12 ms; do not promote the shortest lucky response to a threshold.
Why this step exists
A fixed balanced block exposes the neighbouring-duration pattern without an improvised staircase or cherry-picked stopping point.
Success check
The sheet contains three keyed gap trials at every duration and all 12 no-gap controls.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Run every supplied A trial in order without selecting durations from earlier answers. After scoring, compare the three opportunities at each of 80, 40, 20 and 12 ms; do not promote the shortest lucky response to a threshold.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: Call one lucky tiny-gap answer the threshold.
Correction: Use repeated trials and a declared step rule.
Stop / get help: End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
06
Classify miss and false alarm
A missed gap and a reported gap in a continuous sound are scored separately.
Why this step exists
One percent correct hides response bias.
Success check
Each error has one category.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “A missed gap and a reported gap in a continuous sound are scored separately.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: Use overall accuracy only.
Correction: Separate misses and false alarms.
Stop / get help: End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
07
Retest a new carrier
At least 48 hours later, run supplied Set B once. Its 750-Hz carrier is new but durations, positions, ramps, response question and comfortable level rule match Set A.
Why this step exists
New carrier tests limited transfer beyond a memorised waveform.
Success check
Carrier is new and level remains fixed.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “At least 48 hours later, run supplied Set B once. Its 750-Hz carrier is new but durations, positions, ramps, response question and comfortable level rule match Set A.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: Raise volume for short gaps.
Correction: Keep one comfortable locked level.
Stop / get help: End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
08
Balance gap position
For each duration, compare its E, C and L trial rather than grouping only by milliseconds. Mark a position pattern as descriptive because there is only one trial per duration-position cell.
Why this step exists
A timing-position weakness can be mistaken for a shorter gap limit if every hard gap occurs near one edge.
Success check
Each gap position has valid trials and the learner names any position-specific miss pattern.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “For each duration, compare its E, C and L trial rather than grouping only by milliseconds. Mark a position pattern as descriptive because there is only one trial per duration-position cell.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: The result from “For each duration, compare its E, C and L trial rather than grouping only by milliseconds. Mark a position pattern as descriptive because there is only one trial per duration-position cell.” does not yet meet this declared check: Each gap position has valid trials and the learner names any position-specific miss pattern.
Correction: Return to the start of “Balance gap position”, reduce complexity or pace, and repeat only the part needed to satisfy: “Each gap position has valid trials and the learner names any position-specific miss pattern.”
Stop / get help: End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
09
Confirm the carrier edge
Add no-gap controls with the same onset and offset ramps as the gap trials, and listen to an unscored waveform check before the block.
Why this step exists
Clicks or ramp differences can reveal the answer without genuine silent-gap detection.
Success check
Gap and no-gap files share the declared ramps and produce no obvious click cue at comfortable level.
I’m stuck on this step
Reset: Re-read this authored instruction — “Add no-gap controls with the same onset and offset ramps as the gap trials, and listen to an unscored waveform check before the block.” — and its success check, then attempt only this step.
Possible snag: A click at the edited gap edge gives away the interrupted file.
Correction: Use matched ramps, inspect the waveform and discard any file with a detectable edit transient.
Stop / get help: End the gap block if edited carriers distort or provoke ear pain, new fullness, louder tinnitus, dizziness or headache.
Correct versus incorrect execution
These accessible process diagrams are built from the tutorial’s own right/wrong teaching. They are not anatomical illustrations and do not add technique beyond the canonical tutorial.
Level — Level changes audibility and exposure.
Correct / safer
Keep one comfortable locked level.
Wrong / riskier
Raise volume for short gaps.
Controls — Without controls, a “gap” answer cannot be a false alarm.
Correct / safer
Include random no-gap sounds.
Wrong / riskier
Present a gap every time.
Threshold — Chance responses occur.
Correct / safer
Use repeated trials and a declared step rule.
Wrong / riskier
Call one lucky tiny-gap answer the threshold.
Score — Bias can hide inside one percentage.
Correct / safer
Separate misses and false alarms.
Wrong / riskier
Use overall accuracy only.
Claim — Learning is often specific to timing configuration.
Correct / safer
Report carrier, gap location and duration.
Wrong / riskier
Call it global auditory speed.
Gap position — Position becomes a hidden difficulty cue that confounds duration.
Correct / safer
Compare early, centred and late gaps at one duration before claiming a duration limit.
Wrong / riskier
Place every short gap near onset and every long gap in the centre.
Method-structure checklist
10 of 10 structural checks present
✓ Ordered, Power-specific instructions — present
✓ Every activity has a success check — present
✓ Materials or supplied records are declared — present
✓ Measurement or assessment rule is present — present
✓ Tutorial-specific troubleshooting is present — present
✓ Stopping or escalation boundary is present — present
✓ Every activity has an adjacent alternative — present
✓ Correct-versus-incorrect comparison is present — present
✓ Evidence context is bound to the Power record — present
✓ Planning metadata is present — present
The method-readiness band and presence checklist assess tutorial presentation and are separate from evidence quality for the underlying Power. They are automated editorial aids, not human approval.
Manual editorial sign-off: Pending. This tutorial must not display a human-approved state until an identified editor signs the exact content hash.