The Effect of Visual Feedback of Sound Intensity on Preferred iPod Listening Levels (Paperback)

There are growing concerns regarding risk of permanent hearing damage from personal stereo use. The iPod, currently the most common form of personal stereo, is used by hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. Current research indicates that almost all contemporary personal stereos are capable of output sound levels that have the potential to cause hearing loss; therefore, it is individual choices regarding listening levels and duration that determine whether the individual is at risk during use. This study seeks to evaluate a method by which the behavior of iPod users may be positively influenced, reducing the risk of music-induced hearing loss. Visual feedback, in the form of a green, yellow, or red dot representing sound level risk, was presented to forty-eight female subjects during selection of their preferred listening level (PLL) for iPod music in a simulated noisy environment. Sound levels at their chosen listening level were measured in their ear canal using a probe microphone system. By comparing the sound levels measured when the feedback was available to the levels chosen when no sound level information was present, the behavioral effect of visual feedback regarding sound level was assessed. Preferred listening levels were measured for two different songs, one rated by the subject as 'like' and one rated 'really like, ' allowing the role of strength of music preference on listening levels to also be evaluated. Results of measurement indicate that subjects chose significantly lower listening volumes when the visual feedback was present than when they had no information regarding sound level. No differences were found in any condition, however, between the listening levels chosen for the two song rating categories, indicating that strength of music preference did not influence the volumes chosen by subjects. The results of the study indicate that the visual feedback significantly influenced chosen listening volumes, with sound levels reduced to safer levels when the feedback was presented. These results suggest that, with proper public education regarding the potential harmful effects of loud music listening, the implementation of visual sound level warnings could positively influence the behavior of iPod users to reduce the risk of music-induced hearing loss.