AP Psychology: Audition Concepts

Study Notes

Audition

Audition refers to the sense of hearing, fundamental for perceiving sound.

Frequency

Frequency indicates the number of complete sound wave cycles passing a point in a specific time frame.

Pitch

Pitch describes a tone's perceived highness or lowness, directly linked to frequency.
Long sound waves produce low frequencies and low pitches, while short sound waves result in high frequencies and high pitches.

Decibels

Decibels serve as the measuring unit for sound energy, quantifying the intensity of sound.

Middle Ear

The middle ear is the chamber situated between the eardrum and cochlea, containing three tiny bones: hammer, anvil, and stirrup.
These bones concentrate eardrum vibrations onto the cochlea's oval window.

Inner Ear

The inner ear is the deepest section of the ear, housing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs, pivotal for processing sound and balance.

Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled, bony, and fluid-filled tube within the inner ear that transforms sound waves into nerve impulses.

Place Theory

Place theory elucidates how humans perceive high pitches by associating the pitch heard with specific stimulation locations on the cochlea's membrane.

Frequency Theory

Frequency theory explains the perception of low pitches, where the rate of nerve impulses in the auditory nerve corresponds to the tone's frequency, enabling pitch detection.

Conduction Hearing Loss

Conduction hearing loss arises from damage to the auditory system that transmits sound to the cochlea, such as a punctured eardrum.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss, more prevalent than conductive loss, results from damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or the auditory nerve, also known as nerve deafness.

Hearing Loss

Older individuals typically maintain higher sensitivity to low frequencies but experience greater loss in high frequencies.

Skin Senses

The four distinct skin senses include pressure, warmth, cold, and pain, essential for sensory perception.

Gate Control Theory

Proposed by Melzack and Wall, the gate control theory suggests that the spinal cord contains "gates" that regulate the perception of pain, either blocking it or allowing it to be sensed.

Description

Test your knowledge of audition with these flashcards that cover essential terms like audition, frequency, pitch, and decibels. Understand the key concepts related to the sense of hearing and sound measurement. Perfect for AP Psychology students preparing for their exams.