Absolute Acuity

Absolute acuity refers to the lowest point at which a stimulus can be recognized. For instance, when taking a hearing test the patient is subjected to tones of many frequencies and volume levels. The tones are presented to the patient starting with the vary faint and gradually becoming louder. The patient is instructed to signal when they first hear a tone. This lowest tone of absolute acuity represents the patient's ability to hear, their acuity of hearing.