Auditory Perception Flashcards
Sound
-A vibration that travels as a pressure wave
Pressure Waves
-Sound waves that compress and expand air molecules
Vibration
-A periodic motion around a stable point
Hearing
-The propagation of motion through air
-The air particles are not travelling; think about curtains
-Not travelling; simply get compressed and expanded by propogation
Pinna
-The external part of the ear
-Helps capture + direct sound
Ear Canal
-Amplifies sound like a resonating tube
Eardrum
-Vibrates in response to sound waves
-Moves the hammer bone, which strikes the anvil, transferring motion to the stapes
-This movement pushes the fluid within the long chambers of the cochlea
Cochlea
-Where auditory signal is being transduced
-Sound vibrations become fluid vibrations, traveling as a wave through the cochlea
Basilar Membrane
-Thick = captures bigger frequencies
-Thin = captures smaller frequencies
Hair Cells
-Transduce mechanical signal into electrical signal
Auditory Nerve
-Projects to primary auditory cortex
Frequency
-Perceptual property = pitch
Amplitude
-Perceptual property = loudness
Sound location
-Time difference
-Level difference
Grouping by Similarity
-Similar elements in sound are pecieved as having the same function
Grouping by Proximity
-Sounds close together appear more related than those far apart
Grouping by Connectedness
-We subconsciously connect incomplete sounds, connecting them to make sense of the auditory world
Fundamental Frequency
Lowest frequency component
Harmonics
Multiples of the fundamental frequency
-Influence what we hear
Target Frequency
-Shift fundamental frequency + harmonics around the target frequency
-The closer we are to the target frequency, our brain percieves it as 1
-The further we are from the target, our brain percieves different cues
