Are there any standards for silence in auidiological research?

Question

We need to cut words down so it is purely the word, no extra time on either side. What would be a good number of decibels to cut the sound at?

Answer 1

"Acoustics is the science of sound" (Cowan, 2000, p. 3). As an architectural field, acoustics is a relatively new development.

Thus the application of acoustical knowledge in the form of codes or standards is only beginning to have a structured impact on how we design and construct our built environments. Acoustic standards are created by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

These voluntary standards are written by specialists with knowledge of acoustics and the programmatic needs for specific spaces. They are to be reviewed and updated every five years after acceptance (Cowan, 1994).

The power of silence lies in that it provides a neutral background towards which sounds of interest can be heard, and frees brain-energy for treatment of other kinds of information than acoustic. Total and continuous silence is of course as boring and sensory depriving as too much unwanted sound.