Topic 4.3: hearing

psychoacoustics

• Hearing is studied in psychology using this

• Investigates the perception of sound, and by analyzing the basic anatomy and function of the auditory system.  

How music effects the brain

• Impacts emotion by engaging the limbic system, triggering dopamine release and creating strong memories.  

• Connection is influenced by personal experience, cultural background, and the characteristics, such as tempo and pitch, which can evoke a wide range of feelings.  

• People can also use it to regulate their moods, choosing songs to match or contrast with their current emotional state.

hearing

• The sense we rely on most after sight.  

• The perception of hearing is based on the physical properties of sound waves. 

pitch

Wave frequency (Hz).

Loudness

Amplitude of the sound waves (dB)

Timbre

•  Complexity of sound.  

• Shorter waves=higher frequency 

• Longer waves=lower frequency. 

outer ear

• Includes the pinna (Skin and cartilage flap) and ear canal; funnels sound waves to the eardrum. 

Middle ear

• Ossicles (hammer, anvil, stirrup) vibrate and transmit sound to the inner ear. 

Inner ear

• Cochlea converts vibration into neural activity. 

• Contains the Organ of Corti and basilar membrane.  

 

Place theory

 States that pitch perception is based on which area of the cochlea's basilar membrane vibrates from a sounds frequency. 

• Accounts for high tones.  

Frequency theory

A model of hearing that states that the pitch of a sound is perceived by the rate at which neurons in the auditory nerve fire. 

• The action potential is related to pitch.  

• Accounts for low tones.