Auraltypical acoustics? A critical review of key standards and practices

Abstract

The concept of aural diversity was born out of awareness that there is a deeply embedded and intertwined, singular model of hearing at the core of the preponderance of acoustic standards and guidance, and hence practice (Drever 2015, 2017). This is exemplified with the prescription of the 'otologically normal' hearer derived equal loudness contours (ISO 226:2003), giving form to ubiquitous A-weighted decibel - the 'otologically normal' characterising the hearing of 18 to 25-year-olds, arguably the healthiest sub-group of society. This paper will critically review this assumption through reviewing the current set of acoustics standards in the UK. Crucially it will probe at some of the methods underpinning historic and foundational studies and concepts that are referenced in current standards, such as the reliance on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies) samples to stand in for the whole of the human population. (Henrich, Heine, Norenzayan 2010; Cobianchi & Rosas Pérez, 2021). Through interviews with acoustic professionals, the paper will then look at how this is carried through into practice and finally, discuss the consequences of slavishly following these models, which studies have shown (Drever 2017), results in distress, negative impact on health and well-being and societal exclusion for some.