PSYCH 2010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Basilar Membrane, Sound, Subjective Constancy
Document Summary
Psychological dimensions of sound: loudness: the amplitude, or height, of the sound wave, pitch: depends on the frequency of the sound wave, determines how high or low a tone sounds. Ear: pinna (ear lobe, ear canal, tympanic membrane, stapes (stirrup, malleus (hammer, semicircular canal, oval window, auditory nerve, cochlea. Mechanical energy converted into electrical activity (neural impulses: sound waves collected by auditory structures, ear, tympanic membrane, transduction via the cochlea, movement of hair in the basilar membrane, neural signals sent to the brain via the auditory nerve. How do we code the pitch of sound: place theory, hair cells at a particular place on the basilar membrane respond most to a particular frequency of sound. Best describes how we hear high frequencies. Can"t easily explain why we hear low frequencies: frequency matching theory, firing rate of an auditory nerve matches a sound wave"s frequency. Best describes how we hear low frequencies. Smell/nose: olfactory bulb, receptor cells, olfactory area, vomeronasal organ.
