PSYCH 1XX3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Pith, Basilar Membrane
Document Summary
If sound is strictly the product of an external stimulus, like a falling tree, then you would say that the falling tree in the forest would make a sound, but no one will hear it. If sound is result of our own sensory processing then if no one is around to hear the falling tree then the tree would make no sound at all. A falling tree will produce sound waves. Sound is the result of our interpretation of waves. Different designs of auditory mechanisms of different species have formed through process of evolution. Humans can perceive sounds that lie anywhere between 20 and 20,000 hz, a respectable auditory range. If a fish and bat were to communicate, the conversation would have to be based on the narrow range of frequency over lap available to both species. At about 2000 hz: this would sound very high pith to fish and very low pitch to bat.
