Auditory Figure-Ground
An Aural Task

In an Aural Figure-Ground Task, the figure is very differernt from the ground. You would not confuse the two. The ground, however, is a distraction which must be suppressed by the brain in the perceptual process in order for the figure to be understood.

The first demonstration includes three short excerpts. Two samples are from a test of figure-ground taken from the Goldman-Fristoe-Wookcock Auditory Skills Test Battery, Selective Attention Test, published by American Guidance Service, Inc., Circle Pines, Minnesota, 1974.

Two levels of difficulty are provided here, although in the Test a much wider range is included.

The third sample represents a training tape. To demonstrate an aural task we have made a slight modification of the noise background in the sample taken from a lesson in the Auditory Perceptual Training Program for Improving Auditory Perceptual Processes of Children in the Elementry Grades, by Belle Ruth Witkin, Ph.D. It was published by the Alameda County School Department, 224 West Winton Ave., Hayward, CA 94544, 1973.

An Auditory Figure-Ground
Statistical Discrimination
Speech in a background of many voices

In a Statistical Figure-Ground Task, the figure and the ground are similar. The task in this particular demonstration is to discriminate a voice against a background of many voices. Because there are so many voices (as if in a school lunch room) this is almost an aural task. Yet voices are more similar to the speaker than the noise we heard in the first demonstration. Hence, it is a statistical task and a bit harder to discriminate.

The first two demonstrations are excerpts from the Goldman-Fristoe-Wookcock Auditory Skills Test Battery, Selective Attention Test, They represent two levels of difficulty. The third and fourth examples are excerpts of training One is in a bacground of a crowd noise and the other in a background of music. These were taken from the Auditory Perceptual Training Program for Improving Auditory Perceptual Processes of Children in the Elementry Grades, by Belle Ruth Witkin, Ph.D. It was published by the Alameda County School Department, 224 West Winton Ave., Hayward, CA 94544, 1973.

Please keep in mind that these are only exerpts and that extensive work is done in the complete program prior to these exercises to prepare the children to do the tasks. The exercises were arranged to proceed from simple to more complex tasks.

Auditory Figure-Ground
Statistical Discrimination Testing
A Voice against a background of of a Voice
under various conditions of complexity.

In this statistical Figure-Ground Task, the figure is a male voice and the ground is a male voice. These examples are excerpts of a test taken from the Goldman-Fristoe-Woodcock Battery. In the test the tasks proceed gradually from simple to more complex.

An Auditory Figure-Ground
Statistical Discrimination Training
Combinations of Male and Female Voices as figure and ground
under various conditions of complexity.

In this statistical Figure-Ground Training Task, combinations of figure and ground discrimination tasks are userd. The tasks proceed from simple to more complex. In Task #1 the figure is a male voice against a female voice. In Task # 2 the figure is a female voice against a male voice; in Task #3, the figure is a male voice against a male voice; in Task #4 the figure is a female voice against a female voice; and in Task #5, the figure is a female voice and the noise is a male whispered voice.

An Auditory Figure-Ground
Statistical Discrimination Training
Random alternation between a male/female and female/male figure ground task.

In a this Statistical Figure-Ground task, the figure and the ground are switched between a male and a female voice. This adds the need for flexibility in the perceptual process.