Loudness enhancement and decrement in four paradigms

Abstract

When 1 tone burst (the conditioner) preceeds another (the target) by 100 ms, target loudness is enhanced if the conditioner is more intense and decreased if it is less intense. Similar loudness enhancements and decrements occur when the conditioner follows the target. In all instances, monaural loudness enhancements (in which the conditioner and target are delivered to the same human ear) are greater than the dichotic enhancements (in which the conditioner is presented contralaterally), but the decrements, which are smaller than the enhancements, are similar in magnitude. Loudness enhancements and decrements are similar to sequential loudness effects and central tendency effects; the major difference is the relatively very large increases in loudness obtainable in loudness enhancement experiments. A mechanism was outlined to account for these loudness phenomena. Apparently this mechanism is responsible for similar perceptual effects that occur in other stimulus dimensions and modalities.