Bone-conducted sound substantially contributes to hearing with an occluded ear.

Evidence

A major caveat to these conclusions is that KEMAR was not designed to realistically simulate the effects of bone-conducted sound, which likely plays a major role in listening in a sound field with an occluded ear. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 1525

It appears, therefore, that the listeners’ awareness of meatal occlusion, which would only be present in the first case, may still play a role. A major caveat to these conclusions is that KEMAR was not designed to realistically simulate the effects of bone-conducted sound, which likely plays a major role in listening in a sound field with an occluded ear. While probe microphones in the ear canal might more accurately record the stimulation at the tympanic membrane, they would still not capture the stimulation occurring at the cochlea. — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 1558

Categorization

• QUESTION: How large is the bone-conduction contribution to occluded-ear loudness compared to residual air-conducted sound? Worth chasing a follow-up measurement study.
• XREF: Connects to the classic point that bone conduction lets us hear our own voice and heart; occlusion effect raises low-frequency bone-conduction output. Relevant to the reader’s physiology interest.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 1525; Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 1558