Week 1a: Psychoacoustics & Scientific Method

Question 1

Amplitude

Answer 1

The intensity of a pressure wave or electrical signal, it is measured on the y-axis graphically.

Question 2

Bottom-Up

Answer 2

Information processing that begins with the sensation of a stimulus and leads to the perception of an object. It is sometimes referred to as “data-driven processing” because it takes as a starting point the physical properties of a stimulus; cf. top-down processing.

Question 3

Cognition (Cognitive Psychology)

Answer 3

Thinking and acquiring knowledge, and the study of the same.

Question 4

Confound

Answer 4

A variable not accounted for in the experimental design that is responsible for the observed phenomenon. For example, if the morning section of a class consistently gets lower test scores than the afternoon section of the same class, sleepiness may be a confounding variable.

Question 5

Dependent Variable (DV)

Answer 5

The variable that is measured; an experimental design presumes that the dependent variable changes in the presence of the independent variables. For example, presenting a click track at various tempos to see how well people can keep time to a beat. In this case the DV is the degree of accuracy.

Question 6

Detection

Answer 6

Awareness of a stimulus. Detection does not involve knowledge or decision-making; cf. discrimination.

Question 7

Discrimination

Answer 7

The ability to judge that two stimuli are different from one another. In classical conditioning, discrimination is determined by different responses to stimuli when the responses lead to different outcomes. Discrimination can be learned provided that stimulus differences are greater than the just-noticeable difference.

Question 8

Duration

Answer 8

In auditory science it is the period from the onset of an event to its offset.

Question 9

Experimental Psychology

Answer 9

The branch of psychology concerned with the scientific investigation of basic psychological processes from sensation to cognition, usually employing animals and humans.

Question 10

Frequency

Answer 10

Referring to how often an event or a wave’s cycle repeats. Frequency is in an inverse relationship to time; the higher the frequency, the shorter its periodic cycle. Frequency is measured in cycles per second, or hertz (Hz).

Question 11

Hypothesis

Answer 11

A statement or proposed explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or a scientific problem that can be tested or observed. Hypothesis testing is a method for determining the measured value of a given parameter in a population; also called significance testing.

Question 12

Identification

Answer 12

An additional component of a discrimination task requiring declarative memory to correctly label a stimulus or event.

Question 13

Independent Variable (IV)

Answer 13

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment. In experimental designs it is the presumed cause of the behavior under observation. For example, presenting a click track at various tempos to see how well people can keep time to a beat. In this case the IV is tempo.

Question 14

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

Answer 14

Robust, categorized information in the brain’s long-term storage. Long-term memories may not necessarily be immediately accessed but may appear under certain conditions. LTM is presumed to last indefinitely unless destroyed by brain damage or impairments such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Question 15

Loudness

Answer 15

A psychological perception of the sound pressure level or intensity of an auditory stimulus. Loudness perception depends upon frequency range and the hearing sensitivity of the listener.

Question 16

Modality

Answer 16

How something is done, how it happens, or how it is experienced. The visual modality, for example, refers to how something is seen.

Question 17

Observation

Answer 17

The first stage of the scientific method. Before testing an assumption it is necessary to discover what is already known of a phenomenon or organism. “Observation” can refer to a comprehensive literature search or field studies.

Question 18

Peer Review

Answer 18

The final stage of the scientific method before publicizing experimental results. Research papers are subjected to scrutiny, critical commentary, and suggestions from the authors’ peers who have expertise in the paper’s topic.

Question 19

Percept

Answer 19

A noun referring to the object that was perceived or the end stage of the perceptual process. It is customary in psychoacoustics to use the word “object” to refer to that which produces a sound and “event” as the perception of that object.

Question 20

Perception

Answer 20

The organization, identification, and interpretation of stimuli such that they can be acted upon. Perception is influenced by the limits of the sensory systems (e.g., we cannot perceive ultraviolet light) and by cognitive processes such as attention, memory, learning, and expectations.

Question 21

Pitch

Answer 21

The psychological property of periodic sounds that allows them to be ordered from low to high on a musical scale. Pitch is different from frequency in that pitch is a subjective categorical perception depending on the perceiver and musical tonal theory.

Question 22

Psychoacoustics

Answer 22

The branch of psychology concerned with the perception of sound and its physiological effects.

Question 23

Psychophysics

Answer 23

The branch of psychology that deals with the relationships between physical stimuli and their mental representation in terms of sensation and perception. “Psychophysics” also refers to the methods used to study perception.

Question 24

Research Question

Answer 24

A primary unknown question that justifies a research project. A hypothesis is formed in relation to the research question.

Question 25

Scientific Method

Answer 25

A method or procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, the scientific method comprises systematic observation, measurement, experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.

Question 26

Sensation

Answer 26

The conversion of energy from the environment into a pattern of response by the nervous system.

Question 27

Short-Term Memory (STM)

Answer 27

Memories that last from seconds to minutes, corresponding to the active trace generated by a stimulus or event. STM is passive and will degrade when new stimuli are encountered, or merely as a function of time.

Question 28

Spatial Localization (Lateralization)

Answer 28

The ability to identify the location of a sound source in 3D space relative to the listener: elevation (height), azimuth (left vs. right; front vs. back), and distance. Localization refers to the position of an external sound source; lateralization refers to the position of an apparently internalized sound source delivered via headphones.

Question 29

Stimulus

Answer 29

A thing or event of sufficient strength to provoke a response in an organism, organ, or tissue. In learning paradigms, the stimulus may be referred to as the antecedent because it precedes a response or behavior.

Question 30

Timbre

Answer 30

A physical and psychological property of sounds. Timbre refers to the tone color (i.e., quality) of voice or musical instruments that allows them to be heard as distinct from each other when they are speaking the same words or playing the same note.

Question 31

Top-Down

Answer 31

Information processing that begins with knowledge of a stimulus that assists in the perception of an object. It is sometimes referred to as “knowledge-driven processing” because it takes as a starting point the context and likelihood of a stimulus being a certain thing; cf. bottom-up.

Question 32

Two-Alternative Forced-Choice (2AFC)

Answer 32

A 2AFC experimental design presents stimulus 1 and stimulus 2 to participants and asks them to choose the correct response to questions such as, “which one is louder?” or, “which one is familiar?”

Question 33

Variable

Answer 33

An element, characteristic, or factor that is measurably different across individuals or stimuli.

Question 34

Weber’s Law

Answer 34

Weber’s Law shows that the amount of detectable change in a stimulus is relative, not absolute. The value of a change in intensity (ΔI) divided by a baseline intensity (I) is called the “Weber fraction.” The Weber fraction was once thought to be a constant for different stimuli such as light, temperature, loudness, weight, etc., but it has since been shown that the fraction is not constant, i.e., the law does not hold, at all baseline intensities.