One possibility is that for the purpose of hearing tests, there isn't much concern about hearing loss at such high frequencies. According to Medline, "In detailed audiometry, hearing is normal if tones from 250 Hz through 8000 Hz can be heard at 25 dB or lower." (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003341.htm) Your hearing aid may also cut off the highest frequencies. "Sometimes a satisfactory level of hearing can be restored by a hearing aid - a combination of a microphone to sense ambient sound, an amplifier, and a tiny speaker that projects the amplified sound into the ear canal. A typical modern hearing aid would employ an electret condenser microphone - small and rugged with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The frequency range of application is typically 100-10,000 Hz." (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/hearloss.html#c2) -- Sue Frantz Highline Community College Psychology Des Moines, WA 206.878.3710 x3404 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://flightline.highline.edu/sfrantz/ -- Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology Assistant Director for Project Syllabus http://www.lemoyne.edu/OTRP/projectsyllabus.html
________________________________ From: Annette Taylor, Ph. D. [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wed 10/18/2006 8:30 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] Re: Hearing ringtones (was:: 18-20 kHz and its marketability) For what it's worth, I tried playing the mosquito ring tone to the students and they all went nuts covering up their ears. I could not hear it. I even turned my hearing aids WAY up high and could not hear it! My hearing loss is fairly severe for low and midrange tones. Supposedly my high tones are intact, so I'm not sure I understand the inability to hear this tone. Annette Quoting [EMAIL PROTECTED]: > This one didn't make it to TIPS presumably because it was briefly down at > the time. Maybe I'll get lucky this time. Anyway, I don't think anyone > else replied, and we don't want Lucy to think she's been ignored. > ------------- > > On 16 Oct 2006 at 14:25, Lucy Zinkiewicz wrote: > >> I clicked on an internet ad advertising this ringtone, & discovered >> that I (at the wise old age of 39) can hear it, & it was > painful.<snip> >> >> Any thoughts why I might still be able to perceive the tone? > > Well, off the top of my head, the usual hypothesis for high-frequency > hearing loss as we age (and we do, we do) is that it's not an inevitable > consequence of aging. Instead, it's thought to be a result of the > cumulative damage caused by a lifetime of exposure to noise, especially > in an urban environment ( e.g. from subway screeching, street traffic, > jet aircraft, ipods, movies, rock bands, blenders, chain saws, > lawnmowers, and that's just for starters). It's claimed that those > living in non-industrialized, far quieter places, such as in the jungle > (near the village, the peaceful village) have excellent hearing into old > age. > > This may apply also out on the tundra and the icesheet, or at least it > did. I understand that hearing loss among the Inuit is now of concern > since they traded in their harpoons for rifles (see > www.teachersdomain.org/resources/tdc02/sci/life/reg/inuithear/index.html > > So, Lucy, perhaps you can hear those ringtones because you lived a life > unusually kind to your ears. Or perhaps you're much younger than you > think you are. > > Stephen > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. > Department of Psychology > Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 2600 College St. > Sherbrooke QC J1M 0C8 > Canada > > Dept web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy > TIPS discussion list for psychology teachers at > http://faculty.frostburg.edu/psyc/southerly/tips/index.htm > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph. D. Professor of Psychology University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 619-260-4006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english <http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0<=english>
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