Intensity perception. VIII. Loudness comparisons between different types of stimuli

Area of Science:

• Psychoacoustics
• Auditory Perception
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Preliminary theory of intensity resolution by Durlach and Braida (1969) provided a foundation.
• Existing models did not fully account for loudness comparisons across diverse stimuli or intrasubject variability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend the preliminary theory of intensity resolution to encompass loudness comparisons among different types of stimuli.
• To provide a framework for interpreting intrasubject variability in loudness comparisons.
• To relate mean loudness matches to discrimination performance.

Main Methods:

• Extension of the Durlach and Braida (1969) intensity resolution theory.
• Inclusion of a new term in trace-mode memory variance to account for stimulus dissimilarity.
• Comparison of the extended model with published and new experimental data on loudness matching and discrimination.

Main Results:

• The extended theory establishes a relationship between mean loudness matches and discrimination, consistent with Riesz (1933).
• The model accounts for intrasubject variability in loudness comparisons by incorporating stimulus dissimilarity.
• The model shows good agreement with experimental data.

Conclusions:

• The extended theory offers a comprehensive framework for understanding loudness perception and its variability.
• The model successfully integrates loudness matching, discrimination, and the impact of stimulus characteristics.
• Further research can build upon this extended model for auditory perception studies.