Auditory experimentation resembles measuring an unreliable device against an unpredictable system

Evidence

Studies on auditory sensation and perception can be compared to measurements of a very complex physical system that is inherently non-linear, time-varying with both short-term and long-term effects, and it also shows minor or major variation due to innumerable other factors than those specifically being studied. It is like having an unreliable measurement device for measuring an unpredictably behaving system. With proper methodology and for properly specified problems, the task is, however, manageable and leads to useful theories and models. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 844

Categorization

• DEFINE: Frames the core methodological difficulty of psychoacoustics: a one-line characterization of why auditory experiments need careful controls.