Auditory Theories

Place Theory

• Occurs in the cochlea.
• The location where hair cells bend determines the perception of sound.
• Specifically responsible for the perception of high pitches.

Frequency Theory

• The rate at which action potentials are sent determines the perception of sound.
• Deals with the perception of low pitches.

Volley Theory

• Groups of neurons fire slightly out of sync.
• This combined activity determines the perception of sound when individual neurons cannot fire fast enough to match the frequency of low-pitched sounds.