# PWR-077 — Auditory temporal resolution: learner worksheet Release: Revision 7T · Full Tutorial Edition Estimated time: Estimated 30 min reading and worksheet pass Difficulty: Intermediate Equipment: Common household or practice equipment — 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. Space: Room-scale practice space Automated structural checklist: 10 of 10 structural checks present Evidence quality/context: G2; Detailed research depth Automated method-quality band: Comprehensive Method-rating basis: Structure coverage, instruction/check specificity, alternative distinctness, source troubleshooting, comparison depth and whether purpose/check fields are authored rather than derived. Editorial review: Pending manual editorial sign off ## Before you begin - [ ] I read the tutorial authority and stop conditions. - [ ] I have the required equipment/space or a declared accessible alternative. ## Canonical source context 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. Target outcome: 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. ### Authority and setup conditions - 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. ### Required or supplied materials - 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. ## 1. 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. Success check: All timing/configuration fields are present. Accessible alternative: Complete the same research action — “Record device, output, level, carrier duration and where the gap can occur.” — using speech-to-text, text-to-speech, enlarged text, keyboard-only navigation, shorter work blocks or a support person. Preserve this declared check: “All timing/configuration fields are present.” Do not convert the research task into capability practice. Alternative relationship: Target preserving when declared check is preserved Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 2. 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. Success check: Both anchors are correct without replay. Accessible alternative: A visible, captioned or haptic version of “Hear one continuous sound and one with a clearly long gap, then name each.” can rehearse the response sequence, but it removes the declared auditory stimulus and is therefore a related activity, not an equivalent attempt at Auditory temporal resolution. To preserve the target, keep the authored sound and adapt only non-target access such as response input, instructions, breaks or support; retain this success check: “Both anchors are correct without replay.” Alternative relationship: Related alternative changes trained or measured target Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 3. 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. Success check: The order and prevalence are documented. Accessible alternative: Complete “Use a concealed random order with equal or declared proportions.” in shorter passes, or use keyboard input, dictation or a support person, while preserving this success check: “The order and prevalence are documented.” Use symbols, speech or switches for continuous/interrupted answers. Alternative relationship: Target preserving when declared check is preserved Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 4. 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. Success check: Answer precedes the key on every trial. Accessible alternative: A visible, captioned or haptic version of “Play one sound, answer continuous or interrupted, and rate confidence before feedback.” can rehearse the response sequence, but it removes the declared auditory stimulus and is therefore a related activity, not an equivalent attempt at Auditory temporal resolution. To preserve the target, keep the authored sound and adapt only non-target access such as response input, instructions, breaks or support; retain this success check: “Answer precedes the key on every trial.” Alternative relationship: Related alternative changes trained or measured target Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 5. 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. Success check: The sheet contains three keyed gap trials at every duration and all 12 no-gap controls. Accessible alternative: Complete the same research action — “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.” — using speech-to-text, text-to-speech, enlarged text, keyboard-only navigation, shorter work blocks or a support person. Preserve this declared check: “The sheet contains three keyed gap trials at every duration and all 12 no-gap controls.” Do not convert the research task into capability practice. Alternative relationship: Target preserving when declared check is preserved Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 6. 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. Success check: Each error has one category. Accessible alternative: A visible, captioned or haptic version of “A missed gap and a reported gap in a continuous sound are scored separately.” can rehearse the response sequence, but it removes the declared auditory stimulus and is therefore a related activity, not an equivalent attempt at Auditory temporal resolution. To preserve the target, keep the authored sound and adapt only non-target access such as response input, instructions, breaks or support; retain this success check: “Each error has one category.” Alternative relationship: Related alternative changes trained or measured target Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 7. 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. Success check: Carrier is new and level remains fixed. Accessible alternative: A supported, seated, reduced-range or slower version of “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.” is equivalent only when it keeps the same trained or measured target, declared configuration and success check: “Carrier is new and level remains fixed.” If any of those change, record it as a related alternative rather than an equivalent repetition. Alternative relationship: Conditional equivalence requires target and configuration check Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 8. 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. Success check: Each gap position has valid trials and the learner names any position-specific miss pattern. Accessible alternative: Complete the same research action — “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.” — using speech-to-text, text-to-speech, enlarged text, keyboard-only navigation, shorter work blocks or a support person. Preserve this declared check: “Each gap position has valid trials and the learner names any position-specific miss pattern.” Do not convert the research task into capability practice. Alternative relationship: Target preserving when declared check is preserved Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## 9. 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. Success check: Gap and no-gap files share the declared ramps and produce no obvious click cue at comfortable level. Accessible alternative: A visible, captioned or haptic version of “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.” can rehearse the response sequence, but it removes the declared auditory stimulus and is therefore a related activity, not an equivalent attempt at Auditory temporal resolution. To preserve the target, keep the authored sound and adapt only non-target access such as response input, instructions, breaks or support; retain this success check: “Gap and no-gap files share the declared ramps and produce no obvious click cue at comfortable level.” Alternative relationship: Related alternative changes trained or measured target Learner notes: ________________________________________________________________________________ Completed: [ ] ## Reflection What changed? ________________________________________________________________________________ What remains difficult? ________________________________________________________________________________ What will I repeat, adapt, ask for help with, or stop? ________________________________________________________________________________ --- Completion of this worksheet demonstrates tutorial participation only. It does not establish capability, qualification, safety clearance, diagnosis, treatment or independent validation.