CONCEPT OF THRESHOLD
Threshold is the measurement of an individual’s hearing sensitivity for
calibrated pure tones (ASHA 1996)
The threshold has been viewed as a discrete point along the physical continuum of a
particular stimulus, i.e. certain intensity, along which there is an appropriate response, and
below which there is none. (Gelfand 2007)
This discrete point is difficult to demonstrate by virtue of the influence of various internal
and external events not under the control of the experiment.
External events might include small but finite fluctuations in the instrumentation or
procedural limitation.
Internal events would include variations in the experimental subject’s state of
attention.
Consequently threshold has came to be considered more dependent on the magnitude of the
stimulus
The criteria for judging the threshold value is the elicitation of the desired response a certain
percentage of the time the stimulus is presented. For example, to find the magnitude of sound
which is just detectable and the subject responses are tabulated.
The level of which the sound is heard 50% of the time it was presented is traditionally
defined as absolute threshold. Above this magnitude the subject will respond more frequently
to the stimulus, whereas below this value responses may or may be present. If present it will
be less frequent.
In defining the threshold for a given tone, the procedure used in obtaining the measurement is
an important variable. Two methods of presenting stimuli are commonly used in determining
audiometry threshold measurement: minimum audible field (MAF) and minimum audible
pressure (MAP).
Minimal audible field (MAF) thresholds are sound pressure levels for different pure tones,
measured in a free field.
The stimuli are presented in a special room with a controlled sound environment called sound
field.
Fig 1: Measurement of threshold under MAF condition
Procedure
The subject is seated in a sound field
Distance of the subject and the loudspeaker should not exceed 1m this is because as
distance increases , intensity decreases
Angle between the subject and the loud speaker should be 45degree. the sound
produced reaching the ear is maximum at 45 degree
Select the frequency. The stimulus presented should be in dBSPL.
Threshold values are then collected. These measurements are referred to as minimal
audible field data.
In MAF data, a number of variable that are inherent into the method must be considered.
The position of the head in the sound field affects sound reflections in the area of the ears,
thus resulting in the reduction of the amplitude. This is known as “head shadow effect”.
This effect is determined by the angle of the head to the sound source and the frequency
of the stimulus used.
The placing of subject’s body in the sound field also affects the measurements; this is
referred as “body baffle effect”.
The ear canal has a resonance effect, which modifies the signal from the source before it
reaches the tympanic membrane. The external auditory meatus has a natural resonance in
the frequency of 2500Hz which enhances the stimulus by 10dB to 15dB.
The literature shows the sum of all these effects (body baffle, head shadow and canal
resonance) can cause amplification of a stimulus up to15-17dB.
Minimal audible pressure (MAP) threshold describe threshold in terms of the sound
pressure level under earphones.
Fig 2: Measurement of threshold under MAP conditions
The listener listen to sound presented through earphones, and various procedures are used to
determine the sound pressure that occurs at tympanic membrane.
To estimate the actual pressure at tympanic membrane in a standardise manner , the sound-
pressure at the tympanic membrane in a standardised manner , the sound – pressure level is
estimated from the sound level meter in a test coupler attached to the earphone during
calibration. Such couplers are designed to approximate the average acoustic properties of the
ear of a listener with normal hearing and contain a microphone for estimating the sound
pressure level that would exists at the tympanic membrane. The sound level meter attached to
the earphone through the coupler; this arrangement is often referred as artificial ear.
Procedure:
A probe tube microphone is inserted in the ear canal of the subject
Place the headphone on the subjects head
The output of microphone is connected to an SLM or sound level meter.
Select the frequencies and the thresholds are found at each frequency.
Fig 3: Sound Level Meter
Threshold obtained under MAF and MAP conditions are then plotted in a frequency vs.
intensity graph to obtained MAF and MAP curve as shown in
An intriguing phenomenon demonstrated in the Fig: 4 are that the MAF curve falls
consistently below the MAP curve. In other words, a lower intensity is needed to reach
threshold in a sound field (MAF) than under earphones (MAP). This fact was demonstrated
by Sivian and White 1993 and the discrepancy of 6dB is called ‘missing 6 dB’ phenomenon
(Munson and Wiener, 1952)
Fig 4: MAP-MAF curve
Physiological noise picked up by the earphone. These physiological noses would
partially mask the signal presented by the earphone, so that more sound pressure
would be needed to achieve MAP than for the unmasked MAF.
Binaural summation can be stated as another reason. Under free field condition,
stimulus goes to both ears simultaneously which results in threshold enhancement of 3
dB.
Resonance frequency of external auditory canal is altered when you place head phone.
When you place head phone , air is trapped between tympanic membrane and head
phone. This results in change in pressure which in turn results in reduction in hearing
sensitivity.
Although Map may not have the apparent correlation to everyday listening situations that
MAF does, the earphone technique has many advantages for research and clinical purposes. It
is far easier to build an adequate sound treated room to allow earphone (MAP) measurements
than it is to build a properly controlled anechoic sound field for MAF measurements.
Reference:
- A Tutorial on Basis of Psychoacoustics (Independent Project -2002), AIISH- Mysore.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_National_Standards_Institute
- http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/ANSI.html
- http://www.asha.org/
