Psychoacoustics

Question 1

What does psychoacoustics study

Answer 1

the psychological perception of sound

Question 2

physiology and “sticking elctrodes” are known as ______ _______

Answer 2

wet stuff

Question 3

how humans perceive sound is known as ____ _____

Answer 3

dry stuff

Question 4

Absolute

Answer 4

Tells us the softest (dB), the smallest (Hz), the shortest (ms) that
the ear can detect

Question 5

Relative

Answer 5

• Looks more at the “difference”
• The smallest difference that the ear can detect in frequency, dB,
  ms

Question 6

What is it called if a person can hear the difference between 1000 Hz and 1003 Hz?

Answer 6

Just noticeable difference

Question 7

Absolute Sensitivity: Intensity

Answer 7

How much intensity (pressure, voltage, etc.) is needed for a normal-hearing person to just detect the presence of a sound

Question 8

What is MAP

Answer 8

a way to measure absolute sensitivity intensity;
minimal audible pressure

Question 9

What is MAF

Answer 9

a way to measure absolute sensitvity intensity;
minimal audible field

Question 10

Describe Minimal Audible Pressure

Answer 10

Measured under earphones at
eardrum
* Measured across frequencies
* Frequency dependent
* Threshold
* Point where the sound is perceived
50% of the time
* Right below threshold, it is heard 0% of
the time
* Right above threshold, it is heard 100%
of the time

Question 11

Describe Minimal Audible Field

Answer 11

Second way to measure absolute intensity
* Measured in a sound field with a speaker
(MAF)
* Using two ears
* Sensitivity is better with MAF than MAP
* MAF allows for ear-canal and pinna
resonance where MAP is done at the
eardrum
* Hear better binaurally by 3 dB

Question 12

binaural summation- CANS

Answer 12

Hear better binaurally by 3 dB

Question 13

Threshold of discomfort or pain or feeling

Answer 13

around 130 -140 dBSPL

Question 14

Define Dynamic Range

Answer 14

Difference between the
softest and loudness a
person can hear

Question 15

The Dynamic Range is __________ dependent

Answer 15

frequency

Question 16

Graphed intensity on __-axis with the softest at the top and frequency on the __-axis going from low-to-high

Answer 16

y;x

Question 17

Just noticeable difference for intensity depends on

Answer 17

stimulus and intensity of the stimulus

Question 18

Loudness is

Answer 18

a psychological precept and measured in phons

Question 19

Fletcher Munsons loudness curves =

Answer 19

loudness contours

Question 20

Loudness reflects

Answer 20

quality

Question 21

intensity reflects

Answer 21

quantity

Question 22

Absolute Frequency: the human ear from __- ______Hz

Answer 22

20-20,000

Question 23

Intensity is measured in _____, _____, or ____

Answer 23

dynes, watts, dB

Question 24

Frequencies just noticeable difference are

Answer 24

Poorer at low intensities but more sensitive at high intensities
* Poorer at low (<300 Hz) and high (>2000 Hz)frequencies

Question 25

Frequency Psychological correlate

Answer 25

pitch and measured in mels

Question 26

T/F: Animals have better hearing than humans

Answer 26

false; animals just hear difference frequencies

Question 27

Animals hearing depends on

Answer 27

head size and environment

Question 28

Temporal integration

Answer 28

The first 250-300 ms contain some critical amount of energy needed for detection
* Ear only uses first 250-300 ms of a signal and ignores the rest
* Shorter duration of tone, more frequency spread so need more power to be
detected
* Think back to clicks

Question 29

Temporal acuity

Answer 29

Tell 2 tones versus 1 tone
* Also called gap detection threshold (GDT)
* 2-3 ms