Masking can mean:

Arts and media

Backmasking Backmasking is a recording technique in which a message is recorded backward onto a track that is meant to be played forward. It is a deliberate process, whereas a message found through phonetic reversal may be unintentional. Artists have s ...

, a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward onto a track meant to be played forward * Masking (art), protecting a selected area from change during production, as with tape and stencils * Masking (illustration), an art technique that influences the intended perception of a character

Data protection

Data masking Data masking or data obfuscation is the process of modifying sensitive data in such a way that it is of no or little value to unauthorized intruders while still being usable by software or authorized personnel. Data masking can also be referred as ...

, replacing data with random characters or data to conceal sensitive information **

Blinded experiment In a blind or blinded experiment, information which may influence the participants of the experiment is withheld until after the experiment is complete. Good blinding can reduce or eliminate experimental biases that arise from a participants' expec ...

, in which data is masked to prevent bias *

Masking (Electronic Health Record) In Electronic Health Records (EHR’s) data masking, or controlled access, is the process of concealing patient health data from certain healthcare providers. Patients have the right to request the masking of their personal information, making it ...

, patient-requested concealment of information from healthcare providers *

Masking and unmasking by intelligence agencies Unmasking by U.S. intelligence agencies typically occurs after the United States conducts eavesdropping or other intelligence gathering aimed at foreigners or foreign agents, and the name of a U.S. citizen or entity is incidentally collected. In ...

, to protect the privacy of unintentional surveillance targets *

Sound masking Sound masking is the inclusion of generated sound (commonly, though inaccurately, referred to as "white noise" or "pink noise") into an environment to mask unwanted sound. It relies on auditory masking. Sound masking is not a form of active noise ...

, intentional introduction of background sounds to improve comfort and privacy

Perception

Auditory masking In audio signal processing, auditory masking occurs when the perception of one sound is affected by the presence of another sound.Gelfand, S.A. (2004) ''Hearing – An Introduction to Psychological and Physiological Acoustics'' 4th Ed. New York, ...

, sensory phenomena where perception of one sound is affected by another **

Temporal masking In audio signal processing, auditory masking occurs when the perception of one sound is affected by the presence of another sound.Gelfand, S.A. (2004) ''Hearing – An Introduction to Psychological and Physiological Acoustics'' 4th Ed. New York, ...

Simultaneous masking In audio signal processing, auditory masking occurs when the perception of one sound is affected by the presence of another sound.Gelfand, S.A. (2004) ''Hearing – An Introduction to Psychological and Physiological Acoustics'' 4th Ed. New York, ...

Visual masking The visual system comprises the sensory organ (the eye) and parts of the central nervous system (the retina containing photoreceptor cells, the optic nerve, the optic tract and the visual cortex) which gives organisms the sense of sight (the ...

Backward masking The concept of backward masking originated in psychoacoustics, referring to temporal masking of quiet sounds that occur moments before a louder sound. In cognitive psychology, visual backward masking involves presenting one visual stimulus (a "mask ...

, in psychovisual or psychoacoustics

Other technologies

Mask (computing) In computer science, a mask or bitmask is data that is used for bitwise operations, particularly in a bit field. Using a mask, multiple bits in a byte, nibble, word, etc. can be set either on or off, or inverted from on to off (or vice versa) in ...

, AND'ing or OR'ing a bit pattern with another bit pattern to select certain bits *

Masking agent A masking agent is a reagent used in chemical analysis which reacts with chemical species that may interfere in the analysis. In sports a masking agent is used to hide or prevent detection of a banned substance or illegal drug like anabolic stero ...

, a reagent used in chemical analysis which reacts with chemical species which may interfere in the analysis *

, intentional introduction of background sounds to improve comfort and privacy *

Spectral mask {{unreferenced, date=February 2008 In telecommunications, a spectral mask, also known as a channel mask or transmission mask, is a mathematically-defined set of lines applied to the levels of radio (or optical) transmissions. The spectral mask ...

, a method for reducing adjacent-channel interference in broadcast applications

Other uses

Masking (personality) In psychology and sociology, masking is the process in which an individual camouflages their natural personality or behavior to conform to social pressures, abuse or harassment. Masking can be strongly influenced by environmental factors such a ...

, in which an individual changes their personality to conform to social pressure *Applying or using a

facial mask A facial mask is a creamy or thick pasted mask applied to clean or smoothen the face. Facial masks often contain minerals, vitamins, and fruit extracts, such as cactus and cucumber. A sheet mask is a piece of paper, cellulose or fabric used to ap ...

* Female masking, a form of male cross-dressing {{Disambiguation