Thesis Abstract

Three groups of young people, in all 10 males and 11 females, with different music listening habits listened to their own choice of music from a portable cassette player for one hour. The sound pressure level from the music was measured with a probe-provided miniature microphone in the external auditory canal close to the tympanic membrane.

The temporary threshold shift induced by the music, as well as by 1/3-octave band noise, was registered with Békéky audiometry. The females had significantly more temporary threshold shift than the males after noise-exposure.

Most subjects had only discrete temporary threshold shifts after one hour of listening to music, in spite of 91-97 dB listening levels. There were no significant differences in listening levels or music-induced threshold shifts between genders, although such differences were found between groups with different listening habits.

Thesis Overview