Loudness of non-steady-state sounds

Basic research in psychoacoustics and its applications are discussed. Psychophysical laws should be robust in order to be used for practical purposes. The importance of the development and use of appropriate psychophysical methods in relation to the present study is introduced. When laboratory findings are applied to real-life situations, there are various problems that have to be considered. It is necessary to control for complicated variables, to cover a wide area of stimuli, from static stimuli to dynamic stimuli, and to take into consideration the effects of cognitive factors and ecological validity. Using the loudness of non-steady-state sounds as an example, the process from basic psychoacoustic research to its practical applications is introduced.