Hearing and Auditory Perception: Part 3

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Questions and Answers

What is the main function of the Pinna in the human ear?

Convert motion to neural activity

Conduct neural signals to the brain

Gather sound and conduct it through the external canal (correct)

Perform transduction from acoustic waves to mechanical pressure waves

Which part of the human ear is responsible for converting motion to neural activity?

Malleus or the hammer

Hair cells along the basilar membrane (correct)

Stapes or stirrup

Cochlea

What is the primary function of the cochlea in the auditory system model?

Conduct neural signals to the brain

Vibrate in a frequency-selective manner (correct)

Perform transduction from acoustic waves to mechanical pressure waves

Convert motion to neural activity

Which part of the human ear performs transduction from acoustic waves to mechanical pressure waves?

Tympanic membrane, or eardrum Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the auditory nerve in the human ear?

Conducts neural signals to the brain Signup and view all the answers

Where are the inner hairs located in the human ear?

Cochlea Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between loudness and sound pressure level?

Loudness is related to the physical property of sound pressure level Signup and view all the answers

What is the threshold of audibility?

The minimum sound pressure level required for a sound to be just audible Signup and view all the answers

What do equal-loudness-level contours represent?

Curves illustrating the frequency-dependent perception of loudness Signup and view all the answers

Why must low frequencies be more intense than mid-range frequencies to be perceived?

Low frequencies are less sensitive to human ears Signup and view all the answers

What factor determines the equal-loudness-level contours?

Comparing sounds at different frequencies with a pure tone at 1KHz Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the frequency range 100Hz-6KHz according to the text?

It corresponds to the most sensitive part of the auditory system Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between pitch (mel-scale) and frequency of a pure tone?

Logarithmic Signup and view all the answers

How many bandpass filters can span the range of 0 - 20 kHz?

25 Signup and view all the answers

What does a critical bandwidth of 160 Hz centered on 1 kHz map into in terms of mels?

106 mels Signup and view all the answers

How does masking occur in terms of audibility threshold?

Intense tones raise the audibility threshold Signup and view all the answers

Why are critical bands important in the context of auditory perception?

To understand pitch perception and masking Signup and view all the answers

What type of sounds are perceived to have pitch?

Sounds with a periodic structure Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Human Ear

The main function of the Pinna is to collect and direct sound waves into the ear canal.

Sound Conversion

The cochlea is responsible for converting motion to neural activity in the human ear.
The primary function of the cochlea is to convert acoustic energy into neural signals.

Transduction

The eardrum performs transduction from acoustic waves to mechanical pressure waves.

Auditory Nerve

The auditory nerve is responsible for transmitting neural signals from the cochlea to the brain.

Inner Hairs

Inner hairs are located in the cochlea and are responsible for converting mechanical pressure waves into neural signals.

Loudness and Sound Pressure Level

Loudness is directly proportional to the sound pressure level.
A 10 dB increase in sound pressure level corresponds to a perceived doubling of loudness.

Threshold of Audibility

The threshold of audibility is the minimum sound pressure level that can be detected by the human ear.

Equal-Loudness-Level Contours

Equal-loudness-level contours represent the sound pressure levels at different frequencies that are perceived as equally loud.

Loudness and Frequency

Low frequencies must be more intense than mid-range frequencies to be perceived equally loud.
This is because the human ear is less sensitive to low frequencies.

Determinant of Equal-Loudness-Level Contours

The equal-loudness-level contours are determined by the frequency response of the human ear.

Frequency Range

The frequency range of 100Hz-6KHz is significant because it includes the majority of speech frequencies.

Pitch and Frequency

Pitch is directly proportional to the frequency of a pure tone, but this relationship is non-linear.
The mel scale is a non-linear frequency scale that more accurately represents the relationship between pitch and frequency.

Bandpass Filters

It is possible to span the range of 0-20 kHz with multiple bandpass filters.

Critical Bandwidth

A critical bandwidth of 160 Hz centered on 1 kHz maps into approximately 3.5 mels.

Masking

Masking occurs when a sound is made inaudible by the presence of another sound that is closer to the audibility threshold.

Critical Bands

Critical bands are important in auditory perception because they determine the frequency ranges within which sounds can be masked.

Pitch Perception

Only sounds with a frequency above 50 Hz and below 20,000 Hz are perceived to have pitch.

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Description

Explore models and the perception side of the speech chain in the context of hearing and auditory perception. Learn how human perception plays a role in creating digital representations of speech signals. This quiz is based on a lecture from Computer Engineering Department at King Saud University.