ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the modeling applications to cochlear impairment. Several modifications of S. S. Stevens’ power law have been proposed to account for the low-level curvature in the loudness function in quiet and in noise. Loudness functions are generated in cochlear-impaired hearing by a battery of psychophysical procedures. Loudness matches were obtained by the classical method of adjustment. Equal-loudness levels obtained by adjusting the sound pressure level of the tone set at a frequency in the region of normal hearing are given by the diamonds; those obtained by adjusting the sound pressure level of the tone set at a frequency in the region of impaired hearing are given by the inverted triangles. In order to calculate the loudness-intensity relation in cochlear impairment from J. J. Zwislocki’s model, two additional pieces of information are needed: the critical bandwidth centered on the stimulus frequency, and the bandwidth of the extrinsic or intrinsic noise.
