Fine structure of hearing threshold and loudness perception

Abstract

Hearing thresholds measured with high-frequency resolution show a quasiperiodic change in level called threshold fine structure (or microstructure). The effect of this fine structure on loudness perception over a range of stimulus levels was investigated in 12 subjects. Three different approaches were used. Individual hearing thresholds and equal loudness contours were measured in eight subjects using loudness-matching paradigms. In addition, the loudness growth of sinusoids was observed at frequencies associated with individual minima or maxima in the hearing threshold from five subjects using a loudness-matching paradigm. At low levels, loudness growth depended on the position of the test- or reference-tone frequency within the threshold fine structure. The slope of loudness growth differs by 0.2 dB/dB when an identical test tone is compared with two different reference tones, i.e., a difference in loudness growth of 2 dB per 10-dB change in stimulus. Finally, loudness growth was measured for the same five subjects using categorical loudness scaling as a direct-scaling technique with no reference tone instead of the loudness-matching procedures. Overall, an influence of hearing-threshold fine structure on loudness perception of sinusoids was observable for stimulus levels up to 40 dB SPL--independent of the procedure used. Possible implications of fine structure for loudness measurements and other psychoacoustic experiments, such as different compression within threshold minima and maxima, are discussed.