Different voice qualities tend to vary in terms of their intrinsic loudness. Perceptual experiments have shown that voice quality variation can be strongly associated with the affective colouring of an utterance. The question addressed in this paper concerns the role that the intrinsic loudness variation might play in this voice quality-to-affect mapping. To test the hypothesis that the intrins...

We present evidence that the psychophysical function relating loudness to sound pressure is governed by a nonlinear gain control system, one of whose functions is to protect the sensory system from overload. Specifically, the loudness function is altered nonlinearly when loud sounds are added in an identification task previously containing only soft sounds but not vice

The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship between listeners' loudness growth and their satisfaction with loudness when wearing wide-dynamic-range compression (WDRC) hearing aids. An absolute-magnitude-estimate procedure was used to obtain listeners' unaided and aided loudness growth functions in response to a 500 and 2000 Hz warble tone. In general, listeners' unaided loudn...

The loudness of a sound is its perceived intensity. A just-noticeable difference (JND) in intensity has a corresponding JND in loudness. We will interpret loudness and the loudness JND as the first and second moments of a random decision variable, which we call the single-trial loudness . This interpretation, combined with signal detection theory, allows us to relate the loudness of tones and n...

Loudness judgments play an important role in the selection and fitting of the electroacoustic characteristics of hearing aids such as the maximum output or the compression ratio (Fabry and Schum 1994). To aid in this process, subjective judgments of loudness are often obtained to define regions of comfort or discomfort (i.e., most comfortable loudness level [MCL]; loudness discomfort level [LDL...

Three experiments on loudness of sounds with linearly increasing levels were performed: global loudness was measured using direct ratings, loudness change was measured using direct and indirect estimations. Results revealed differences between direct and indirect estimations of loudness change, indicating that the underlying perceptual phenomena are not the same. The effect of ramp size is smal...

We propose a set of design criteria for visualising loudness features of an audio signal, measured along different time scales. A novel real-time loudness meter, based on these criteria, is presented. The meter simultaneously shows short-term loudness, long-term loudness and peak level. The short-term loudness is displayed using a circular bar graph. The meter displays the longterm loudness by ...

The present paper extends previous efforts to compare models of additivity of masking in normal and impaired listeners to measures of loudness. A model that provides a good account of additivity of masking for normal and impaired listeners, the modified power-law model with compressed internal noise, also provides a good description of basic loudness data from normal and impaired listeners. Thi...

Purpose: Wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has become a very important hygiene measure to block or prevent respiratory droplets and infections. The purpose of this study is explore effect wearing on acoustical measurement voice speech in patients with hyperfunctional disorders, present guidelines for mask when evaluating speech.Methods: A total 20 disorders who diagnosed vocal nod...

Vocal signals among animals can carry different types of messages simultaneously. The croaking of a frog or the screech of a monkey conveys information about the animal making the sounds: its motivation, its ability to defend resources, its health, and even its genetic quality. Other animals have evolved to pay attention to this implicit information and adjust their own behavior accordingly, be...