Factors related to magnitude estimation scaling of complex auditory stimuli: aging.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aging on magnitude estimation scaling of the loudness of complex auditory stimuli in the form of rock music. The subjects were 10 young adults (M age = 19.3 yr.), and 10 older individuals (M age = 54.2 yr.). The older individuals' mean numerical responses suggested that they perceived the rock music stimuli as louder for all nine suprathreshold intensities tested. The older group of subjects may have perceived the suprathreshold stimulus intensities as being louder because of physical and affective changes that naturally occur in central auditory processing during the aging process.