Auditory Perception and Music (Module 7)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering sound physics, ear anatomy, hearing loss, auditory processing, sound localization, and music perception as detailed in the lecture transcript.

Sound Waves

Waves of changing air pressure consisting of compressions and rarefactions.

Frequency

A measurement in $Hz$ that is related to the perceived pitch of a sound.

Amplitude

A measurement in $dB$ that is related to the perceived loudness of a sound.

Fundamental Frequency

The frequency that determines the perceived pitch of a sound; pure tones like sine waves have only this single frequency.

Timbre

The psychological quality that gives sounds their distinct character, such as the difference between a saxophone and a piano playing the same pitch, caused by multiples of the fundamental frequency.

Spectrogram

A visualization tool that shows frequency and intensity over time, allowing for the observation of component frequencies in a complex sound wave.

Pinna

The external part of the ear whose folds and shape provide monaural cues for sound localization.

Cochlea

An "acoustic prism" where different areas respond to high frequencies (near the base) and low frequencies (near the apex) in parallel.

Hair Cells

Specialized neurons representing the auditory equivalent of photoreceptors; vibration causes stereocilia to flatten and trigger depolarization.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused by the inhibition of vibrations due to earwax buildup, infection, or otosclerosis.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hearing loss that can be metabolic (caused by ototoxicity from drugs) or sensory (caused by long-term exposure to loud noises).

Primary Auditory Cortex (A1)

Located in the temporal lobe, this area features tonotopic organization and splits into dorsal ("where") and ventral ("what") streams.

Interaural Time Difference (ITD)

A binaural cue for localized sound based on the delay of sound reaching the opposite ear.

Interaural Level Difference (ILD)

A binaural cue for localized sound based on the fact that sound reaching the opposite ear is quieter.

Cone of Confusion

A region where elevation and 3D space make ITD and ILD cues ambiguous; it is best resolved by moving the head.

Inverse Square Law

The physical principle responsible for the tendency to underestimate long distances when localizing sound.

Reverberation

The bouncing of sound off surfaces; the ratio of direct to indirect sound helps gauge distance, room size, and wall material.

Auditory Scene Analysis

The process of segmenting mixed sounds in the environment into individual "streams" from different sources.

Cocktail Effect

The ability to focus attention on one speaker despite background noise, which results in auditory cortex responses similar to hearing the speaker in isolation.

Acoustic Startle Response

A very rapid motor response to a loud, unexpected noise.

Amusia

A disorder also known as "tone deafness" characterized by the inability to perceive or reproduce tone; it can be congenital or acquired.

Music Agnosia

The inability to perceive music holistically while still being able to hear it as sound, typically associated with damage to the temporal lobe or ventral stream.

Neural Entrainment

A process where a repetitive beat induces pulses of neural firing that result in synchronized oscillations.

Shamanic Drumming

Drumming at $4 - 4.5\,Hz$, the same frequency as theta brain waves, used to induce trance-like altered states of consciousness.

Frisson Response

An aesthetic experience where a fear response in the amygdala (triggered by crescendos or bass drops) is appraised as non-harmful, resulting in a positive feeling.

Mozart Effect

Based on a 1993 study by Rauscher et al., the pop-journalism belief that listening to Mozart makes you smart; the actual effect was small, transient, and likely due to general cognitive arousal.