PSY 131 midterm 2

Question 1

Transient signals/ click stimulus/ spectral splatter

Answer 1

brief acoustical signal in which the sound level changes abruptly

Question 2

Perceptual Beats

Answer 2

periodic change in overall loudness of a tone; occurs if change in f is less than 15-20 Hz

Question 3

acoustic beats

Answer 3

periodic increase + decrease in amplitude caused by superposition of 2 sine waves of different frequencies

Question 4

amplitude modulation

Answer 4

multiplication of two signals results in a change in temporal envelope

Question 5

frequency modulation

Answer 5

addition of two signals does not change temporal envelope

Question 6

sidebands

Answer 6

two frequency components

Question 7

noise

Answer 7

random sequence of amplitude variations over time

Question 8

low pass filter

Answer 8

passes all frequencies below cutoff

Question 9

high pass filter

Answer 9

passes all frequencies above cutoff

Question 10

bandpass

Answer 10

passes all frequencies between upper and lower cutoff

Question 11

bandstop

Answer 11

attenuates all frequencies between upper and lower cutoff

Question 12

linear system

Answer 12

output of the system is linear function to the input

Question 13

nonlinear system

Answer 13

nonlinear relationship between input and output

can introduce new frequency components

Question 14

difference tone

Answer 14

type of intermodulation distortion (equal to the change of f of two frequency components)

Question 15

intermodular distortion

Answer 15

results from nonlinear system: the interaction of two or more frequency components

Question 16

compression

Answer 16

reduce range of sound intensities in the output

Question 17

Driver

Answer 17

catalyst that causes vibration of sound source (hand, hammer, etc)

Question 18

generator

Answer 18

the medium in or on which a standing wave of vibration is created and maintained (string, vocal cords)

Question 19

resonator

Answer 19

an object that attenuates or amplifies the signal from a generator

Question 20

free vibration

Answer 20

ex: plucked string, as soon as string is set into motion, damping occurs due to impedance (measure of how much medium resists movement)

Question 21

forced vibration

Answer 21

ex: shouting at an undamped guitar; if fundamental frequency of driver is close to the natural frequency of the string, the string will resonate/vibrate

Question 22

outer ear function

Answer 22

protection, sound localization, modification of sound waves

Question 23

ear canal

Answer 23

resonant properties cause us to have greater sensitivities to frequencies between 1kHz and 6 kHz

Question 24

middle ear parts

Answer 24

malleus - incus - stapes

Question 25

middle ear function

Answer 25

amplify transmission of sound waves from outer ear to inner ear, transforms signal from air to fluid, matches pressure of inside ear to external world

Question 26

inner ear “cochlea” function

Answer 26

transduction: mechanical vibration turned into electrochemical signals

Question 27

basilar membrane

Answer 27

wider towards the apex, acts as a bandpass filter, apex processes low frequencies and base processes high frequencies

Question 28

organ of corti

Answer 28

includes the inner and outer hair cells

Question 29

stereocilia

Answer 29

gated ion channel created by movement of inner hair cells that depolarize (send potassium ions out)

Question 30

tonotopic organization

Answer 30

ability to tune into certain frequencies; inner hair cells, neurons, auditory cortex all organized according to frequencies

Question 31

Descending pathways

Answer 31

from the brain signals travel to synapses in the cochlea; tells your ear to be less responsive

Question 32

ascending pathways

Answer 32

signals go from ears to the brain to be processed (temporal lobe)

Question 33

place coding

Answer 33

firing rate of neurons matters; frequency coding is determined by how often neurons fire (fire more with corresponding frequency)

Question 34

temporal coding (phase locking)

Answer 34

when neurons fire matter; neurons and inner hair cells respond corresponding to which part of the wave is coming into the ear

Question 35

adaptation

Answer 35

decrease firing rate even though stimulus hasn’t ended (get’s used to sound)

Question 36

saturation

Answer 36

maximum firing rate (plateaus)

Question 37

spontaneous activity

Answer 37

even in quiet, most neurons show background firing activity