Discrimination Limen for Loudness under Varying Rates of Intensity Change

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Abstract
The influence of the rate of auditory-intensity change upon a subject''s ability to discriminate that change was studied. In one experiment, the stimulus intensity changed gradually through time. Complete psychophysical functions were obtained for 4 subjects at 5 rates of change between 2 and 150 dB/min [decibels per minute]. To control for possible differential auditory-fatigue, a stable level of fatigue was maintained throughout the trials. The slowest rate of change was the only 1 that produced results significantly different from the other rates and this was so for only 2 of the 4 subjects. In a 2nd experiment, a warbling type of intensity variation was used, with 4 warble rates between 0.3 and 3.0 beats/sec. The rate of change of the warble amplitude was adjusted for each warble rate to compensate for the fewer number of warble cycles presented in a given observation time with the slower warble rates. This control has apparently not been used in previous similar studies which indicated definite decrement in discrimination as warble rate decreased. The results of this experiment showed no significant effects on the discrimination limen from varying the warble rate.

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