Models of Loudness

Abstract

Any chapter dedicated to reviewing models should first try to define what a model is. The question is more difficult than it first appears. Whereas most scientists agree that a model should represent a real-world phenomenon, many disagree on the level of complexity that a model should have. In his chapter on pitch models, De Cheveigné (2004) cites Norbert Wiener: “the best model of a cat is another, or preferably the same, cat.” De Cheveigné strongly disagrees with this statement, arguing that a cat is not easier to handle than itself. He stressed the need for a model to be simpler than the original. Otherwise, why not use the original?