Magnitude Estimates of Loudness Adaption at 60 dB SPL

Abstract

Previous reports indicate that adaptation measured by the technique of successive magnitude estimations is not found above 30 dB SL (Fishken et al., 1977; and others). Although the present study confirmed this finding at 60 dB SPL for the original procedure, it was found that a modification of the magnitude estimation procedure resulted in significant loudness adaptation at this intensity. Introduction of a 20-dB increment for 5 s, every 30 s, resulted in a marked and statistically significant decline in successive loudness judgements of the 60-dB tone. In addition, the decline in reported loudness magnitude was cumulative and progressive throughout the 7-min duration of the monaural stimulus. This is typical of classical results found with simultaneous dichotic loudness balances.

Interactions between test- and inducer-tone durations in induced loudness reduction

“…Like ILR, ILA measures the effect of a stronger sound on the loudness of a weaker one. The usual ILA paradigm is to have listeners judge at regular intervals the loudness of a continuous tone that is incremented intermittently or to which is added intermittently a stronger tone at a different frequency ͑e.g., Weiler et al, 1981;Canévet et al, 1983;Charron and Botte, 1988͒. The increment or added tone serves the function of the inducer in ILR experiments.…”

Loudness Adaptation: Fact or Artifact?

“…To test that hypothesis, Weiler et al (1981) introduced the Ipsilateral Comparison Paradigm (ICP), a monaural procedure in which a base tone was intensity modulated (i.e., increased in intensity) at fixed intervals during the base period. For example, the listeners were initially presented with a continuous 60-dB tone at lo00 Hz (with a 1000-Hz tone, 60-dB SPL is equal to approximately 53 dB above the average threshold for the ANSI 1996 standardization group).…”