Introduction to Hearing Science Midterm 3 Topics

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts of hearing science, focusing on space perception, auditory scene analysis, speech perception, hearing loss, and auditory illusions.

Binaural Cues

Cues that involve both ears to determine the direction of sound.

Interaural Time Differences (ITDs)

Differences in the arrival time of sound between two ears, effective for low frequencies.

Interaural Level Differences (ILDs)

Differences in sound intensity that reach each ear, effective for high frequencies.

Duplex Theory

Theory that suggests using both ITDs for low frequencies and ILDs for high frequencies.

Minimum Audible Angle (MAA)

The smallest angular change in the position of a sound source that can be detected.

Pinna Cues

Cues provided by the shape of the outer ear that help to resolve sound localization issues.

Cone of Confusion

A region in which sounds that have the same ITDs and ILDs cannot be distinguished.

Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs)

Functions that describe how sound is altered by the body before it reaches the ear.

Intensity Cues

Cues based on the loudness of sound to perceive distance.

Reverberation Cues

Cues based on echoes that help to determine distance of sound.

Auditory Scene Analysis

The process of separating sound sources in the auditory environment.

Onset Timing

Principle that sounds starting at different times are likely from different sources.

Bilateral Masking Level Difference (BMLD)

The difference in sound level that helps to identify a single sound source.

Gestalt Principles in Audition

Perceptual principles that help organize auditory information.

Similarity Principle

Similar pitches are grouped together as a single auditory stream.

Proximity Principle

Sounds that are close in time or frequency tend to be perceived as a group.

Continuity Principle

Sounds are perceived as continuous even if interrupted by noise.

Common Fate Principle

Sounds that change together are grouped together.

Source-Filter Theory

Theory explaining speech production involving a sound source and its filtering through the vocal tract.

Formants

Resonances of the vocal tract that determine vowel sounds.

Voice Onset Time (VOT)

The time between the release of a consonant and the onset of vocal fold vibration.

Place of Articulation

Where in the vocal tract the constriction occurs during consonant production.

Manner of Articulation

How the airflow is constricted to produce different types of sounds.

Coarticulation

The influence of surrounding sounds on the production of a speech sound.

Motor Theory

Theory suggesting speech perception refers to articulation.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Hearing loss due to problems in the outer or middle ear.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve.

Mixed Hearing Loss

A combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Retrocochlear Disorders

Auditory nervous system impairments that occur beyond the cochlea.

Auditory Processing Disorders

Difficulties in understanding auditory information, especially in noise.

Hearing Aids

Devices that amplify sound to assist people with hearing impairment.

Automatic Gain Control (AGC)

A feature in hearing aids that adjusts gain according to input level.

Cochlear Implants

Devices that bypass damaged hair cells to stimulate the auditory nerve.

Vocoder

A device that divides sound into frequency bands for processing.

Severe-Profound Sensorineural Hearing Loss

A classification for cochlear implant candidacy.

Trace Model

An interactive architecture model of speech perception with features, phonemes, and words.

Bayesian Approaches

Probabilistic approaches to speech perception, integrating multiple cues.

Auditory Illusions

Phenomena where perception differs from the physical properties of sounds.

Shepard Tones

An auditory illusion where a series of tones create a perception of a continuous pitch increase.

Phantom Words

Illusions where non-existent words are perceived from ambiguous auditory input.

Cultural Background Effects

Variances in auditory perception based on cultural or linguistic backgrounds.