Chapter 4 - part 4: Our Sense of Hearing: The Auditory System

Which perception is associated with the amplitude of a sound wave?

What aspect of the sound wave influences the perception of timbre?

When a clarinet plays a high C followed by a low C, these two notes are perceived differently because they differ in what aspect?

What units of measurement refer to the loudness of sounds?

What units of measurement refer to the pitch of sounds?

What is the range of human hearing?

What is the structure of the ear that transduces sound vibrations into nerve impulses?

Jefferson has had years of exposure to high-amplitude sound through his work as a helicopter mechanic. Lately he has noticed that he is losing his ability to detect high-frequency sounds. What has Jefferson most likely damaged?

Which structure of the ear serves a similar function as the retina serves in the eye?

What are the direct receptors for hearing?

What process allows us to hear pitch, according to place theory?

Imagine that the basilar membrane in the human ear were longer. What might you expect humans to be able to do, based on place theory?

Which theory of hearing views the basilar membrane as being like a drumhead?

The maximum firing rate for individual neurons is 1,000 neural impulses per second. What does this biological limitation mean for theories of perception?

What is the major flaw in the frequency theory of pitch perception?

Which theory, or theories, best explain(s) pitch perception for very low-pitch, very high-pitch, and middle-pitch sounds, respectively?

After reading the Featured Study, in which of the following might you enroll your child if you wanted to enhance your child’s ability to interpret speech prosody?