On loudness enhancement of a tone burst by a preceding tone burst

Abstract

The loudness level of a second tone burst in a monotic burst pair is investigated as a function of the intensity and frequency of the first burst relative to the corresponding variables of the second burst and as a function of the interburst time interval. The loudness level is measured with the help of a third, comparison burst whose frequency is the same as that of the second burst. The results, in connection with preceding results, show beyond any reasonable doubt that loudness effects in pairs of sound bursts are controlled by two perceptual processes: loudness enhancement and loudness summation. The first refers to the loudness of the second burst, the second, to the overall loudness of the burst pair. The time and frequency functions of the two processes are fundamentally different.