AP Psychology (Myers) Unit 4
Frequency
The number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
Sensory Interaction
The principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
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
Cochlea
A coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses
Cochlear Implant
A device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
Pitch
A tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
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
Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
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
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
Vestibular Sense
The sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance
Audition
The sense or act of hearing
Kinesthesis
The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
Opponent Process Theory
The theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green
