Re: apparent increase in loudness (Leon van Noorden )

Subject: Re: apparent increase in loudness
From:    Leon van Noorden  <leonvannoorden(at)CHELLO.BE>
Date:    Fri, 30 Jan 2004 22:22:28 +0100

Yes, Fatima, I like your association, but when I made
this observation, I had not the feeling that
it had anything to do with the particular significance
of the sound, a crying baby, but more an acoustic
phenomenon. In a way like the apparent size of the moon
that looks much bigger when it is just above the horizon.
Could it be that a sound that is just above a masked threshold
"uses" in a sense the excitation caused by the masking sound?
Or could it be a case of "stochastic resonance"?

Leon

> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: AUDITORY Research in Auditory Perception
> [mailto:AUDITORY(at)LISTS.MCGILL.CA]namens FATIMA HUSAIN
> Verzonden: 29 jan 04 21:18
> Aan: AUDITORY(at)LISTS.MCGILL.CA
> Onderwerp: Re: apparent increase in loudness
>
>
> On Thu, 29 Jan 2004, Leon van Noorden wrote:
>
> > auditorylist,
> >
> > during a recent transatlantic flight I observed
> > the phenomenon that the sound of a crying baby
> > appeared louder when I tried to mask it by
> > putting on a headphone with loud instrumental music.
> > It ran against my expectation that a partially
> > masked sound would appear less loud.
> > Is this a known phenomenon?
> >
>
> Yes, to all mothers :-)
>
> --fatima
>