Mod. 19 The Non-visual Senses

place theory:

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated.

frequency theory:

in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch.

embodied cognition:

in psychological science, the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments.

A jury is deliberating in a room that had been freshly painted the day before. The room is still giving off a strong paint odor. It is more likely that the jury will:

render a harsher verdict

Adeline is worried because she knows that her work environment is very loud and that prolonged exposure to sounds above _____ decibels can produce hearing loss.

85

Phantom limb sensations and other experiences of amputees show that the brain can produce _____ in the absence of normal sensory input.

Pain

What are the basic steps in transforming sound waves into perceived sound?

The outer ear collects sound waves, which are translated into mechanical motion by the middle ear and turned into fluid waves in the inner ear. The auditory nerve then translates the energy into electrical waves and sends them to the brain, which perceives and interprets the sound.

How are the basilar membrane and taste bud receptors alike?

They both use hair cells to detect sensations.

How does our system for sensing smell differ from our sensory systems for touch and taste?

We have four basic touch senses and five taste sensations. But we have no basic smell receptors. Instead, different combinations of odor receptors send messages to the brain, enabling us to recognize some 10,000 different smells.

cochlea [KOHK-lee-uh]:

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses.

cochlear implant:

a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea.

Damage to the basilar membrane is most likely to affect one's:

audition

When people are told that a bottle of wine is much more expensive than it really is, they are likely to:

believe it tastes better than it would otherwise.

Receptor cells for the vestibular sense send messages to the:

cerebellum

Several days ago, Ravi fell and hurt his ankle. Although it bothered him a little, he continued to walk on it. When he finally went to the doctor for x-rays, he found out he had a broken bone. It is likely that Ravi carries a gene that boosts the availability of _____.

endorphins

Several days ago, Ravi fell and hurt his ankle. Although it bothered him a little, he continued to walk on it. When he finally went to the doctor for x-rays, he found out he had a broken bone. It is likely that Ravi carries a gene that boosts the availability of:

endorphins

Judy was born without the ability to feel pain. People with this type of problem often:

have no way to judge their injuries

sensorineural hearing loss:

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness.

conduction hearing loss:

hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.

Where are vestibular sense receptors located?

inner ear

the amplitude of a sound wave determines our perception of________(loudness/pitch).

loudness

The longer the sound waves are, the____(lower/higher) their frequency is and the _______(higher/lower) their pitch.

lower; lower

Which theory of pitch perception would best explain a symphony audience's enjoyment of the high-pitched piccolo? How about the low-pitched cello?

place theory; frequency theory.

Gretta is 85-years-old and having trouble with her hearing. She worked in a factory manufacturing auto parts for many years. The most likely reason for her _____ hearing loss are normal aging and prolonged exposure to ear-splitting noise.

sensorineural

Billy Bob works at the airport as a member of the ground crew. He typically takes off his hearing protection as he finds it cumbersome. Prolonged exposure to the roars of the jet engines will result in:

sensorineural hearing loss.

One sensation resulting in the perception of another is known as:

synaesthesia.

middle ear:

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window.

inner ear:

the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.

frequency:

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second)

sensory interaction:

the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste.

vestibular sense:

the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance.

kinesthesis: [kin-ehs-THEE-sehs]

the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.

gate-control theory:

the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain.

Stroking adjacent pressure spots creates a :

tickle.

It has been observed that you can't really tickle yourself. This is because:

tickling involves the brain, which is more sensitive to an unexpected tickle.

We feel sounds as vibrations that are conducted through our bones. It follows that hearing is a special form of:

touch sensation