Magnitude estimation lets listeners assign numbers proportional to perceived loudness.

Evidence

In one of Stevens’ many accomplishments, he developed the magnitude estimation technique, which allowed listeners to estimate the magnitude of sounds by providing numerical values corresponding to the size of their perception as the intensity of the stimulus was varied. When the magnitude estimation technique is applied to measuring loudness, listeners hear a sound and assign a number (or rating) to that sound according to its perceived loudness. Consequently, we sometimes also call these procedures rating or scaling. When loudness is measured in this way, the resulting function that relates the ratings to stimulus intensity is a loudness growth function. In his early experiments, listeners were often presented with a reference sound, and listeners judged the relative loudness of the test sounds in reference to that one. Recent work often omits the reference sound and listeners assign any numbers they like, as Stevens (1957) demonstrated that a reference sound was not necessary. Perhaps this result should not surprise us, as our daily listening experiences include very soft and very loud sounds, and so we have references already in our perceptual experience. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 709

In one of Stevens’ many accomplishments, he developed the magnitude estimation technique, which allowed listeners to estimate the magnitude of sounds by providing numerical values corresponding to the size of their perception as the intensity of the stimulus was varied. When the magnitude estimation technique is applied to measuring loudness, listeners hear a sound and assign a number (or rating) to that sound according to its perceived loudness. Consequently, we sometimes also call these procedures rating or scaling. When loudness is measured in this way, the resulting function that relates the ratings to stimulus intensity is a loudness growth function. In his early experiments, listeners were often presented with a reference sound, and listeners judged the relative loudness of the test sounds in reference to that one. Recent work often omits the reference sound and listeners assign any numbers they like, as Stevens (1957) demonstrated that a reference sound was not necessary. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 709

Magnitude Estimation. In this method, stimuli are assigned numbers corresponding to the perceived magnitude in some dimension. For example, a sequence of stimuli can be assigned numbers corresponding to their perceived loudness. Form the ratio of the numbers, the ratio of loudness can be deduced. In addition it is sometimes useful to present a standard, which is called the anchor sound. In this case, pairs of stimuli are presented, and the first stimulus of each pair is kept constant. This standard, or anchor, is assigned a numerical value, say 100, which might represent its loudness. Relative to this value, the loudness of the second sound has to be scaled. If, for example, the second sound is three times as loud as the first sound, then the subject has to respond with the number 300 liiiJ Track 6. — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 112

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines magnitude estimation and the loudness growth function it produces.
• XREF: Links to the reader’s prior interest in the psychophysics of loudness and Fechner/Stevens power-law scaling traditions. — connects to: A human listener is needed to connect objective sound pressure with perceived loudness — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 650
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 709; Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 112