EFFECTS OF ACCLIMATIZATION AND DEPRIVATION ON NON-SPEECH AUDITORY ABILITIES

This article reviews the evidence for acclimatization and deprivation with respect to non-speech auditory abilities. Although this subject h as not been studied extensively, clear evidence exists for acclimatiza tion and/or deprivation effects on intensity discrimination, binaural masking level difference, and auditory localization and lateralization . There is also some argument for such effects with regard to changes in tolerance for intense sounds or preferred levels of amplification. However, the main evidence for these effects, changes in loudness disc omfort levels with repeated testing, may reasonably be explained as pr ocedural or task-related effects rather than changes in auditory abili ties. On the other hand, the successful use of tinnitus maskers to tre at hyperacusis suggests that particularly low tolerance levels may be improved by exposure to certain types of auditory stimulation. Overall , this retrospective review of changes in nonspeech auditory abilities , associated with the presence or absence of listening experience, ind icates that acclimatization or deprivation effects may have influenced the results of some of the experiments reviewed. This suggests that e xperiments designed to study acclimatization or deprivation are timely and useful. In addition, acclimatization and deprivation are potentia l variables that should be considered, and preferably controlled, with in experiments on auditory abilities. Clinically, the review adds weig ht to the argument for considering acclimatization and/or deprivation in hearing aid fitting and evaluation.