Perceived Loudness

Definition

Perceived loudness refers to how humans subjectively interpret and experience the intensity or volume of a sound. It is influenced by physical factors such as amplitude and frequency but also takes into account individual differences in auditory sensitivity and psychological factors.

Related terms

Psychoacoustics: Psychoacoustics is an interdisciplinary field that studies how humans perceive and process sounds. It explores topics such as pitch perception, localization, masking effects, and subjective responses to different acoustic stimuli.

Just Noticeable Difference (JND):

JND refers to the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli that can be noticed by an individual. In terms of perceived loudness, it represents the minimum change in amplitude needed for someone to recognize a difference in volume.

Intensity Discrimination: Intensity discrimination refers to our ability to distinguish between different levels of sound intensity. It involves determining whether two sounds differ in their amplitudes or if they have similar intensities.