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253 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Adaptation
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a reduction in response caused by prior or continuing stimulation
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Sensory transducer
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a receptor that converts physical energy from the environment into neural activity
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Sensation
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the ways that information from the world is picked up by sense organs and detected by the owners of those organs
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Perception
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the interpretation of those signals
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Nativism
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the idea that the mind produces ideas that are not derived from external sources, and that we have abilities that are innate and not learned
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Dualism
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the idea that both mind and body exist
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Monism
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the idea that mind and matter are formed from, or reducible to, a single ultimate substance or principle of being
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Materialism
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the idea that physical matter is the only reality, and everything including the mind can be explained in terms of matter and physical phenomena; a type of monism
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Mentalism
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the idea that the mind is the true reality and objects exist only as aspects of the mind's awareness; a type of monism
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Mind-body dualism
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originated by Rene Descarters, the idea positing the existence of two distinct principles of being in the universe: spirit/soul and matter/body
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Empiricism
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the idea that experience from the sense is the only source of knowledge
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Panpsychism
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the idea that all matter is consciousness
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Psychophysics
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the science of defining quantitative relationships between physical and psychological events
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Two point touch threshold
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the minimum distance at which two stimuli are just perceptible as separate
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Just noticeable different (JND)
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the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli, or the minimum change in a stimulus that enables it to be correctly judged as different from a reference stimulus
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Weber fraction
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the constant of proportionality in Weber's law
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Weber's law
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the principle that the just noticeable difference (JND) is a constant fraction of the comparison stimulus
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Fechner's law
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a principle describing the relationship between stimulus and resulting sensation such that the magnitude of subjective sensation increases proportionally to the logarithm of the stimulus intensity
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Absolute threshold
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the minimum amount of stimulation necessary for a person to detect a stimulus 50% of the time
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Method of constant stimuli
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a psychophysical method in which many stimuli ranging from rarely to almost always perceivable (or rarely to almost always perceivably different from a reference stimulus), are presented one at a time: yes/no, same/different, and so on
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Method of limits
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a psychophysical method in which the particular dimension of a stimulus, or the different between two stimuli, is varied incrementally until the participant responds differently
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Method of adjustment
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the method of limits for which the subject controls the change in the stimulus
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Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve
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in studies of signal detection, the graphical plot of the hit rate as a function of the false alarm rate; if these are the same, points fall on the diagonal, indicating that the observer cannot tell the different between presence and absence of the signal; as the observers' sensitivity increases, the curve cows upward toward the upper left corner and that point represents a perfect ability to distinguish signal noise
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Signal detection theory
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a psychophysical theory that quantifies the response of an observer to the presentation of a signal in the presence of noise; measures attained from a series of presentations are sensitivity and criterion of the observer
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Magnitude estimation
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a psychophysical method in which the participant assigns values according to perceived magnitudes of the stimuli
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Cross-modality matching
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the ability to match the intensities of sensations that come from different sensory modalities; this ability enables insight into sensory differences
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Stevens' power law
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a principle describing the relationship between stimulus and resulting sensation, such that the magnitude of subjective sensation is proportional to the stimulus magnitude raised to an exponent
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Doctrine of specific nerve energies
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a doctrine formulated by Johannes Muller stating that the nature of a sensation depends on which sensory fibers are stimulated, not on how fibers are stimulated
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Cranial nerves
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twelve pairs of nerves that originate in the brain stem and reach sense organs and muscles through openings in the skull
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Olfactory nerves (I)
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the first pair of cranial nerves, which conduct impulses from the mucous membranes of the nose to the olfactory bulb
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Optic (II) nerves
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the second pair of cranial nerves, which arise from the retina and carry visual information to the thalamus and other parts of the brain
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Auditory (VIII) nerves
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the eighth pair of cranial nerves, which connect the inner ear with the brain, transmitting impulses concerned with hearing and balance; is composed of the cochlear nerve and the vestibular nerve
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Oculomotor (III) nerves
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the third pair of cranial nerves, which innervate all the extrinsic muscles of the eye except the lateral rectus and the superior oblique muscles and which innervate the elevator muscle of the upper eyelid, the ciliary muscle, and the sphincter muscle of the pupil
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Trochlear (IV) nerves
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the fourth pair of cranial nerves, which innervate the superior oblique muscles of the eyeballs
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Abducens (VI) nerves
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the sixth pair of cranial nerves, which innervate the lateral rectus muscle of each eye
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Polysensory
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blending multiple sensory systems
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Vitalism
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the idea that vital forces are active within living organisms and these forces cannot be explained by physical processes of matter more generally
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Synapse
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the junction between neurons that permits information transfer
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Neurotransmitter
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a chemical substance used in neuronal communication at synapses
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Olfaction
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the sense of smell
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Gustation
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the sense of taste
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Odor
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a general smell sensation of a particular quality
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Odorant
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any specific aromatic chemical
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Olfactory cleft
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a narrow space at the back of the nose into which air flows, where the main olfactory epithelium is located
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Olfactory epithelium
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a sensory mucosa in the human nose whose primary function is to detect odorants in the inspired air; located on both sides of the upper portion of the nasal cavity and the olfactory clefts; consists of three main types of cells: olfactory sensory neurons, basal cells, and supporting cells
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Supporting cells
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one of the three types of cells in the olfactory epithelium; this cell type provides metabolic and physical support for the OSNs
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Basal cells
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one of the three types of cells in the olfactory epithelium; these cells are precursor cells to the OSNs
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Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs)
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the main cell type in the olfactory epithelium; small neurons located beneath a watery mucous layer in the epithelium; the cilia on these dendrites contain the receptor sites for odorant molecules
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Cilia
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hairlike protrusions on the dendrites of OSNs; the receptor sites for odorant molecules are on these, which are the first structures involved in olfactory signal transduction
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Olfactory receptor (OR)
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the region on the cilia of the OSNs where odorant molecules bind
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Cribriform plate
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a bond structure riddled with tiny holes, at the level of the eyebrows, that separates the nose from the brain; the axons from the olfactory sensory neurons pass through the tiny holes of this to enter the brain
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Asosmia
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a total inability to smell, most often resulting from sinus illness or head trauma
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Olfactory (I) nerves
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the first pair of cranial nerves; the axons of the OSNs bundle together after passing through the cribriform plate to form this
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Olfactory bulb
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the blueberry-sized extension of the brain just above the nose, where olfactory information is first processed; there are two of these, on in each brain hemisphere, corresponding to the right and left nostrils
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Ipsilateral
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referring to the same side of the body (or brain)
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Mitral cells
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the main projective output neurons in the olfactory bulbs
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Tufted cells
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a secondary class of output neurons in the olfactory bulbs
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Glomeruli
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spherical conglomerates containing the incoming axons of the OSNs; each OSN converges onto two of these
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Primary olfactory cortex
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the neural area where olfactory information is first processed, which includes the amygdala-hippocampal complex and the entorhinal cortex
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Amygdala-hippocampal complex
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the conjoined regions of these which are key structures in the limbic system; this complex is critical for the unique emotional and associative properties of olfactory cognition
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Entorhinal complex
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a phylogenetically old cortical region that provides the major sensory association input into the hippocampus; this also receives direct projections from olfactory regions
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Limbic system
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the encompassing group of neural structures that includes the olfactory cortex, the amygdala, the hippocammpus, the piriform cortex, and the entorhinal cortex; this is involved in many aspects of emotion and memory
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Trigeminal (V) nerves
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the fifth pair of cranial nerves, which transmit information about the feel of an odorant
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Shape-pattern theory
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the current dominant biochemical theory for how chemicals come to be perceived as specific odorants; contends that different scents activate different arrays of olfactory receptors in the olfactory epithelia; these carious arrays produce specific firing patterns of neurons in the olfactory bulb, which then determine the particular scent that we perceive
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Vibrate theory
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championed by Luca Turin; proposes that every perceived smell has a different vibrational frequency, and that molecules that produce the same vibrational frequencies will smell the same
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Specific anosmia
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the inability to smell one specific compound amid otherwise normal smell perception
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Stererisomers
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isomers (molecules that can exist in different structural forms) in which the spatial arrangement of the atoms are mirror-image rotations of one another
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Psychophysics
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the science of defining quantitative relationships between physical and psychological events
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Staircase method
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a psychophysical method for determining the concentration of a stimulus required for detection at the threshold level; a stimulus is presented in an ascending concentration sequence until detection is indicated, and then the concetration is shifted to a descending sequence until the response changes to no detection
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Triangle test
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a test in which a participant is given three odors to smell, of which two are the same and one is different; the participant is required to state which is the odd odor out
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Tip-of-the-nose phenomenon
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the inability to name an odorant, even though it is very familiar; one has no lexical access to the name of the odorant
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G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)
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the class of receptors that are present on the surface of olfactory sensory neurons; all of these are characterized by a common structural feature of seven membrane-spanning helices
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Receptor adaptation
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the biochemical phenomenon that occurs after continuous exposure to an odorant, whereby the receptors stop responding to the odorant and detection ceases
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Cross-adaptation
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the reduction in detection of an odorant following exposure to another odorant
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Cognitive habituation
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the psychological process by which, after long-term exposure to an odorant, one is no longer able to detect that odorant or has very diminished detection ability
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Odor hedonics
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the liking dimension of odor perception, typically measured with scales pertaining to an odorant's perceived pleasantness, familiarity, and intensity
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Gestation
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fetal development during pregnancy
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Learned taste aversion
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the avoidance of a novel flavor after it has been paired with gastric illness
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Orbitofrontal cortex
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the part of the frontal lobe of the cortex that lies above the bone containing the eyes; responsible for processing olfaction and is also the area of the brain critical for assigning affective value to stimuli
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Main olfactory bulb (MOB)
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the blueberry sized extension of the brain just above the nose and is the first region of the brain where smells are processed
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Accessory olfactory bulb (AOB)
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a smaller neural structure located behind the main olfactory bulb that receives input from the vomeronasal organ
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Vomeronasal organ (VNO)
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a chemical sensing organ at the base of the nasal cavity with a curved tubular shape; detects chemicals that cannot be processed by the olfactory epithelium
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Pheromone
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a chemical emitted by one member of a species that triggers a physiological or behavioral response in another member of the same species
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Lordosis
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the position that a sow needs to assume in order to be impregnated
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Releaser pheromone
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a pheromone that triggers an immediate behavioral response among cospecifics
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Primer pheromone
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a pheromone that triggers a physiological change among conspecifics and usually involves prolonged pheromone exposure
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Retronasal olfactory sensation
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the sensation of an odor that is perceived when chewing and swallowing force an odorant in the mouth up behind the palate into the nose
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Flavor
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the combination of true taste (sweet, salty, sour, bitter) and retronasal olfaction
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Chorda tympani
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the branch of cranial nerve VII (the facial nerve) that carries taste information from the anterior, mobile tongue (the part that can be stuck out)
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Cranial nerves
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twelve pairs of nerves that originate in the brain stem and reach sense organs and muscles through openings in the skull
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Taste buds
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globular clusters of cells that have the function of creating the neural signals conveyed to the brain by taste nerves
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Papillae
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structures that give the tongue its bumpy appearance
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Taste receptor cells
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cells within the taste bud that contain sites on their apical projections that can interact with taste stimuli; fall into two categories: those interacting with charged particles and those interacting with specific chemical structures
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Filiform papillae
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small structures on the tongue that provide the most of the bumpy appearance and have no taste function
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Fungiform papillae
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mushroom shaped structures that are distributed most densely on the edges of the tongue, especially the tip; taste bugs are buried in the surface
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Foliate papillae
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folds of tissue containing taste buds; located on the rear of the tongue lateral to the circumvallate papillae, where the tongue attaches to the mouth
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Cicumvallate papillae
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circular structures that form an inverted V on the rear of the tongue; are mound-like structures surrounded by a trench and are much larger than fungiform papillae
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Microvilli
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slender projections on the tips of some taste bud cells that extend into the taste pore
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Tastant
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any stimulus that can be tasted
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Insular cortex
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the primary cortical processing area for taste - the part of the cortex that first receives taste information
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Orbitofrontal cortex
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the part of the frontal lobe of the cortex that lies above the bone (orbit) containing the eyes
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Basic tastes
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sweet, salty, sour, bitter
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Salty
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the taste quality produced by the cations of salts
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Sour
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the taste quality produced by the hydrogen ion in acids
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Bitter
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the taste quality produced by substances like quinine or caffeine
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Sweet
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taste qualities produced by some sugars
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Specific hungers theory
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the idea that deficiency of a given nutrient produces craving for that nutrient; Curt Richter first proposed this idea
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Umami
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the taste sensation evoked by monosodium glutamate
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Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
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the sodium salt of glutamic acid
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Labeled lines
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a theory of taste coding in which each taste nerve fiber carries a particular taste quality
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Nontaster of PTC/PROP
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an individual born with two recessive alleles for the Tas2r38 gene and are unable to taste these compounds
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Taster of PTC/PROP
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an individual born with one or both dominant alleles for the Tas2r38 gene and able to taste these compounds
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Cross-modality matching
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the ability to match the intensities of sensations that come from different sensory modalities and this ability enables insight into sensory differences
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Supertaster
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an individual who perceives the most intense taste sensations
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Kinesthesis
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the perception of the position and movement of our limbs in space
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Proprioception
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perception mediated by kinesthetic and vestibular receptors
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Somatosensation
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a collective term for sensory signals from the body
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Epidermis
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the outer of two major layers of skin
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Dermis
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the inner of two major layers of skin, consisting of nutritive and connective tissues, within which lie the mechanoreceptors
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Mechanoreceptors
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sensory receptors that are responsive to mechanical stimulation (pressure, vibration, and movement)
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Meissner corpuscle
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a specialized nerve ending associated with fast-adapting fibers (FA I) that have small receptive fields
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Merkel cell neurite complex
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a specialized nerve ending associated with slow-adapting (SA I) fibers that have small receptive fields
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Pacinian corpuscle
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a specialized nerve ending associated with fast adapting (FA II) fibers that have large receptive fields
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Ruffini ending
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a specialized nerve ending associated with slow-adapting (SA II) fibers that have large receptive fields
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Kinesthetic
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referring to perception involving sensory mechanoreceptors in muscles, tendons, and joints
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Muscle spindle
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a sensory receptor located in a muscle that senses its tension
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Thermoreceptors
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sensory receptors that signal information about changes in skin temperature
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Warmth fiber
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a sensory nerve fiber that fires when skin temperature increases
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Cold fiber
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a sensory nerve fiber that fires when skin temperature decreases
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Nociceptors
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sensory receptors that transmit information about noxious (painful) stimulation that causes damage or potential damage to the skin
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A-delta fiber
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an intermediate-sized myelinated sensory nerve fiver that transmits pain and temperature signals
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C fiber
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a narrow diameter, unmyelinated sensory nerve fiber that transmits pain and temperature signals
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Spinothalamic pathway
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the route from the spinal cord to the brain that carries most of the information about skin temperature and pain
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Dorsal column-medial lemniscal (DCML) pathway
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the route from the signal cord to the brain that carries signals from skin, muscles, tendons, and joints
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Somatosensory area 1 (S1)
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the primary receiving area for touch in the cortex
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Somatosensory area 2 (S2)
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the secondary receiving area for touch in the cortex
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Somatotopic
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spatially mapped in the somatosensory cortex in correspondence to spatial events on the skin
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Homunculus
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a maplike representation of regions of the body in the brain
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Phantom limb
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sensation perceived from a physically amputated limb of the body
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Neural plasticity
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the ability of neural circuits to undergo changes in function of organization as a result of previous activity
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Substantia gelatinosa
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a jellylike region of interconnecting neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord
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Dorsal horn
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a region at the rear of the spinal cord that receives inputs from receptors in the skin
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Gate control theory
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a description of the system that transmits pain that incorporates modulating signals from the brain
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Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)
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a region of the brain associated with the perceived unpleasantness of a pain sensation
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Prefrontal cortex
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a region of the brain concerned with cognition and executive control
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Analgesia
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decreasing pain sensation during conscious experience
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Endogenous opiates
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chemicals released by the body that block the release or uptake of neurotransmitters necessary to transmit pain sensations to the brain
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Hyperalgesia
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an increased or heightened response to a normally painful stimulus
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Two-point touch threshold
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the minimum distance at which two stimuli are just perceptible as separate
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Haptic perception
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knowledge of the word that is derived from sensory receptors in skin, muscles, tendons, and joints, usually involving active exploration
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Exploratory procedure
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a stereotyped hand movement pattern used to contact objects in order to perceive their properties; each exploratory procedure is best for determining one (or more) object properties
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Tactile agnosia
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the inability to identify objects by touch
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Frame of reference
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the coordinate system used to define locations in space
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Egocenter
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the center of a reference frame used to represent locations relative to the body
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Body image
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the impression of our bodies in space
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Endogenous spatial attention
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a form of top-down (knowledge driven) control of spatial attention in which attention is voluntarily directed toward the site where the observer anticipates a stimulus will occur
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Exogenous spatial attention
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a form of bottom up (stimulus driven) spatial attention in which attention is reflexively directed toward the site at which a stimulus has abruptly appeared
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Tadoma
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a method by which those who are both deaf and blind can perceive speech in real time using their hands
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Virtual haptic environment
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a synthetic world that may be experienced haptically by operation of an electromechanical device that delivers forces to the hand of the user
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Amplitude
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the magnitude of displacement of a sound pressure wave or of a head movement
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Intensity
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the amount of sound energy falling on a unit area
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Frequency
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for sound, the number of times per second that a pattern of pressure change repeats
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Hertz (Hz)
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a unit of measure for frequency
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Loudness
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the psychological aspect of sound related to perceived intensity or magnitude
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Pitch
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the psychological aspect of sound related mainly to the fundamental frequency
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Decibel (dB)
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a unit of measure for the physical intensity of sound
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Sine wave (or pure tone)
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the waveform for which variation as a function of time is a sine function
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Period
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the time required for one cycle of a repeating waveform
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Phase
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the relative position of two or more sine waves
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Complex tone
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a sound wave consisting of more than one sinusoidal component of different frequencies
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Fourier analysis
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a mathematical theorem by which any sound can be divided into a set of sine waves; combining these sine waves will reproduce the original sound
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Spectrum
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a representation of the relative energy present at each frequency
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Harmonic spectrum
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the spectrum of a complex sound in which energy is at integer multiples of the fundamental frequency
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Fundamental frequency
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the lowest frequency component of a complex periodic sound
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Timbre
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the psychological sensation by which a listener can judge that two sounds with the same loudness and pitch are dissimilar
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Pinna
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the outer, funnel like part of the ear
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Ear canal
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the canal that conducts sounds vibrations from the pinna to the tympanic membrane and prevents damage to the tympanic membrane
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Tympanic membrane
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the eardrum; a thin sheet of skin at the end of the outer ear canal
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Outer ear
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the external sound gathering portion of the ear, consisting of the pinna and the ear canal
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Middle ear
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an air filled chamber containing the middle bones, or ossicles; conveys and amplifies vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the oval window
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Ossicles
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three tiny bones in the middle of the ear: malleus, incus, and stapes
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Malleus
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one of the ossicles; receives vibration from the tympanic membrane and is attached to the incus
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Incus
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the middle ossicle; connects the malleus and the stapes
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Stapes
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one of the ossicles; connected to the incus and presses against the oval window of the cochlea on the other end
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Oval window
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the flexible opening to the cochlea through which the stapes transmits vibration to the fluid inside
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Inner ear
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a hollow cavity in the temporal bone of the skull and the structures within this cavity
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Tensor tympani
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the muscle attached to the malleus; tensing this decreases vibration
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Stapedius
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the muscle attached to the stapes; tensing this decreases vibration
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Acoustic reflex
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a reflex that protects the ear from intense sounds, via contraction of the stapedius and tensor tympani muscles
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Cochlea
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a spiral structure of the inner ear containing the organ of corti
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Tympanic canal
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one of the three fluid based passages in the cochlea; extends from the round window at the base of the cochlea to the helicotrema at the apex
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Vestibular canal
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one of the three fluid based passages in the cochlea; extends from the oval window at the base of the cochlea to the helicotrema at the apex
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Middle canal
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one of the three fluid based passages in the cochlea; is between the tympanic and vestibular canals and contains the cochlear partition
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Helicotrema
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the opening that connects the tympanic and vestibular canals at the apex of the cochlea
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Reissner's membrane
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a thin sheath of tissue separating the vestibular and middle canals in the cochlea
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Basilar membrane
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a plate of fibers that forms the base of the cochlear partition and separates the middle and tympanic canals in the cochlea
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Cochlear partition
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the combined basilar membrane, tectorial membrane, and organ of corti, which are together responsible for the transduction of sound waves into neural signals
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Round window
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a soft area of tissue at the base of the tympanic canal that releases excess pressure remaining from extremely intense sounds
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Organ of corti
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a structure on the basilar membrane of the cochlea that is composed of hair cells and dendrits of auditory nerve fibers
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Hair cells
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cells that support the stereocilia that transduce mechanical movement in the cochlea and vestibular labyrinth into neural activity sent to the brain stem; some of these also receive inputs from the brain
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Auditory nerve fibers
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a collection of neurons that convey information from hair cells in the cochlea to and from the brain stem; this collection also includes neurons for the vestibular system
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Stereocilia
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hairlike extensions on the tips of hair cells in the cochlea that initiate the release of neurotransmitters when they are flexed
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Tectorial membrane
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a gelatinous structure that extends into the middle canal of the ear, floating above inner hair cells and touching outer hair cells
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Tip link
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a tiny filament that stretches from the tip of a stereocilium to the side of its neighbor
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Place code
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tuning of different parts of the cochlea to different frequencies, in which information about the particular frequency of an incoming sound wave is coded by the place along the cochlear partition that has the greatest mechanical displacement
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Afferent fiber
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a neuron that carries sensory information to the central nervous system
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Efferent fiber
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a neuron that carries information from the central nervous system to the periphery
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Threshold tuning curve
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a map plotting the thresholds of a neuron or fiber in response to sine waves with varying frequencies at the lowest intensity that will give rise to a response
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Characteristic frequency (CF)
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the frequency to which a particular auditory nerve fiber is most sensitive
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Two-tone suppression
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a decrease in the firing rate of one auditory nerve fiber due to one tone, when a second tone is presented at the same time
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Isointensiry curve
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a map plotting the firing rate of an auditory nerve fiber against varying frequencies at varying intensities
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Rate saturation
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the point at which a nerve fiber is firing as rapidly as possible and further stimulation is incapable of increasing the firing rate
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Rate-intensity function
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a map plotting the firing rate of an auditory nerve fiber in response to a sound of constant frequency at increasing intensities
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Low-spontaneous fibers
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auditory nerve fibers with low rates of spontaneous firing; require relatively intense sound before firing at higher rates
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High-spontaneous fibers
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auditory nerve fibers with high rates of spontaneous firing; they increase their firing rate in response to relatively low levels of sound
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Mid-spontaneous fibers
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auditory nerve fibers with medium rates of spontaneous firing; they are intermediate between low and high spontaneous fibers
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Phase locking
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firing of a single neuron at one distinct point in the period of a sound wave at a given frequency
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Temporal code
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tuning of different parts of the cochlea to different frequencies, in which information about the particular frequency of an incoming sound wave is coded by the timing of neural firing as it relates to the period of the sound
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Volley principle
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an idea stating that multiple neurons can provide a temporal code for frequency if each neuron fires at a distinct point in the period of a sound wave but does not fire on every period
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Cochlear nucleus
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the first brain stem nucleus at which afferent auditory nerve fibers synapse
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Superior olive
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an early brain stem region in the auditory pathway where inputs from both ears converge
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Inferior colliculus
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a midbrain nucleus in the auditory pathway
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Medial geniculate nucleus
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the part of the thalamus that relays auditory signals to the temporal cortex and receives input from the auditory cortex
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Tonotopic organization
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an arrangement in which neurons that respond to different frequencies are organized anatomically in order of frequency
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Primary auditory cortex (A1)
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the first area within the temporal lobes of the brain responsible for processing acoustic information
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Belt area
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a region of cortex, directly adjacent to the primary auditory cortex (A1) , with inputs from A1, where neurons respond to more complex characteristics of sounds
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Parabelt area
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a region of cortex, lateral and adjacent to the belt area, where neurons respond to more complex characteristics of sounds, as well as to input from other senses
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Psychoacoustics
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the study of the psychological correlates of the physical dimensions of acoustics
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Audibility threshold
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the lowest sound pressure level that can be reliably detected at a given frequency
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Equal loudness curve
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a graph plotting sound pressure level against the frequency for which a listener perceives constant loudness
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Temporal integration
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a process by which a sound at a constant level is perceived as being louder when it is of greater duration
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Masking
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using a second sound, frequency noise, to make the detection of another sound more difficult
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White noise
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noise consisting of all audible frequencies in equal amounts
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Critical bandwidth
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the range of frequencies conveyed within a channel in the auditory system
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Conductive hearing loss
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hearing loss caused by problems with the bones of the middle ear
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Otitis media
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inflammation of the middle ear, commonly in children as a result of infection
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Otosclerosis
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abnormal growth of the middle ear bones that causes hearing loss
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Sensorineural hearing loss
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hearing loss due to defects in the cochlea or auditory nerve
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Ototoxic
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producing adverse effects on organs or nerves involved in hearing or balance
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Interaural time difference (ITD)
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the difference in time between a sound arriving at one ear versus the other
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Azimuth
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the angel of a sound source on the horizontal plan relative to a point in the center of the head between the ears
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Medial superior olive (MSO)
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a relay station in the brain stem where inputs from both ears contribute to detection of the interaural time difference
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Interaural level difference (ILD)
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the difference in level (intensity) between a sound arriving at one ear versus the other
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Lateral superior olive (LSO)
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a relay station in the brain stem where inputs from both ears contribute to the detection of the interaural level difference
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Cone of confusion
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a region of positions in space where all sounds produce the same time and level (intensity) differences (ITDs and ILDs)
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Head-related transfer function (HRTF)
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a function that describes how the pinna, ear canal, head, and torso change the intensity of sounds with different frequencies that arrive at each ear from different locations in space
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Inverse-square law
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a principle stating that as distance from a source increases, intensity decreases faster such that decrease in intensity is the distance squared
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Fundamental frequency
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the lowerst-frequency component of a complex periodic sound
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Timbre
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the psychological sensation by which a listener can judge that two sounds with the same loudness and pitch are dissimilar
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Attack
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the part of a sound during which amplitude increases (onset)
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Decay
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the part of a sound during which amplitude decreases (offset)
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Source segregation (or auditory scene analysis)
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processing an auditory scene consisting of multiple sound sources into separate sound images
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Auditory stream segregation
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the perceptual organization of a complex acoustic signal into separate auditory evens for which each stream is heard as a separate event
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