Abstract
Sounds at levels that can injure the ear are regarded as enjoyable by many people.
In many societies, a common form of this behavior is listening to loud music, either
via personal audio systems or at music venues. Drawing on theory from the literature
around loud sound and emotional responses to music, and combining it with concepts
of physiological sound adaptation and classical conditioning, we developed a model
of the process that may underlie people's enjoyment of loud sound, particularly loud
music in nightclubs. The Conditioning, Adaptation, and Acculturation to Loud Music
(CAALM) model proposes that the benefits associated with loud sound, alongside other
desirable aspects of nightclubs, provide the unconditioned stimuli. Over time regular
clubbers become conditioned to enjoy loud sound in itself. Exposure to loud sound
also causes adaptation within the auditory system, so there is both a desire for,
and tolerance of, loud sound during leisure time. This sets up an expectation of loud
music as a cultural norm, and staff of leisure venues, who are themselves part of
that culture, set music levels to meet customer expectations; and a cycle is perpetuated.
This theory may be a useful consideration for health promotion and hearing conservation
interventions.
Keywords
Loud - music - adaptation - noise-induced hearing loss - conditioning
