Question 1

Which of the following statements regarding pitch perception is true?

Accepted Answer

Frequency theory states that the perception of pitch is based on the frequency of neural impulses traveling up the auditory nerve, which is most effective for low frequencies up to about 100 Hz. Place theory, on the other hand, suggests that the location of the hair cells along the basilar membrane of the inner ear corresponds to different frequencies and is most effective for high frequencies above about 1000 Hz. Therefore, the correct statement is that frequency theory holds true for low frequencies, while place theory holds true for high frequencies.

Question 2

The Sonicguide device,which is used to provide "new eyes" to people with blindness,utilizes the sensory principles of:

Accepted Answer

The Sonicguide device uses sound waves to create a map of the surrounding environment, which the user then uses to navigate. This is an example of sound localization. Light transduction (A) refers to the process by which light is converted into neural signals in the eye, and is not relevant to the Sonicguide device. Monocular (C) and binocular (D) depth perception are visual processes and are not relevant to the Sonicguide device, which relies on sound rather than vision.

Question 3

The place theory of pitch perception states that pitch is determined by:

Accepted Answer

The place theory of pitch perception states that different frequencies of sound waves stimulate different places on the basilar membrane of the cochlea, with high frequencies stimulating the end closest to the oval window and low frequencies stimulating the far end. This means that the specific place in the cochlea where the fluid wave peaks determines the perceived pitch.

Question 4

While cleaning his right ear a little too vigorously,Steve accidentally punctured his eardrum and is unable to hear out of this ear.Steve's injury would be classified as an example of:

Accepted Answer

Steve's injury is located in the outer or middle ear, which would affect the conduction of sound waves to the inner ear. This type of hearing loss is called conduction deafness.

Question 5

The type of hearing loss that cannot be helped by a hearing aid is:

Accepted Answer

Nerve deafness, also known as sensorineural hearing loss, is caused by damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve and cannot be corrected by a hearing aid. Hearing aids are only effective for conductive hearing loss, which occurs when sound cannot travel effectively through the outer or middle ear.

Question 6

The fact that we have two ears on our heads instead of just one is an important structural feature that is most related to our ability to:

Accepted Answer

Our two ears allow us to locate the source of sounds because sound waves reach each ear at slightly different times and with slightly different intensities. Our brain processes this information to determine where the sound is coming from.

Question 7

The organ of Corti contains thousands of tiny hair-like receptors and rests on top of the ________________,which runs for the length of the cochlea.

Accepted Answer

The organ of Corti rests on top of the basilar membrane, which runs for the length of the cochlea. The oval window and ear drum are structures in the middle ear, and the cochlear duct is another structure within the cochlea.

Question 8

Information regarding the time differences and intensity differences of arriving sounds is most important in:

Accepted Answer

Information regarding time differences and intensity differences of arriving sounds is crucial for localizing where the sound is coming from. The brain processes differences in arrival time and intensity between the ears to determine the location of the sound source.

Question 9

The cochlear implant device overcomes nerve deafness by:

Accepted Answer

The cochlear implant bypasses damaged hair cells and stimulates the auditory nerve directly, allowing sound to be transmitted to the brain even if the natural hair cells are not functioning properly.

Question 10

The Utah Intracortical Electrode Array makes use of the fact that phosphenes,which are discrete flashes of light that are perceived by both blind and sighted people,are perceived when the _____________ is electrically stimulated.

Accepted Answer

Phosphenes are perceived when the visual cortex is electrically stimulated.

Question 11

The ability of our nervous system to localize the source of various sounds is primarily determined by:

Accepted Answer

The fact that we have an ear on each side of our head allows us to compare the arrival time and intensity of sounds at each ear, giving us the ability to localize the source of sounds. This is known as binaural hearing. The ear shape (choice A) and the connection between the eardrum and inner ear bones (choice C) are important for amplifying and transmitting sounds, but do not play as significant a role in sound localization. The connection between the organ of Corti and the auditory nerve (choice D) is important for hearing and transmitting sound signals to the brain, but does not directly contribute to sound localization.

Question 12

The theory that postulates that nerve impulses triggered by a given auditory stimulus should match the pitch of that stimulus is the _____________ theory of pitch perception.

Accepted Answer

The frequency theory proposes that nerve impulses triggered by a given auditory stimulus should match the pitch of that stimulus. This is because the frequency of the sound wave determines the rate of firing of auditory neurons, and hence the pitch perceived by the listener.

Question 13

The two senses that are associated and are referred to as the "common chemical sense" are:

Accepted Answer

The common chemical sense refers to the senses of taste (gustation) and smell (olfaction), which are both closely linked to the detection of chemicals in our environment. The other senses listed (kinesthesis, vision, and hearing) are not associated with the perception of chemical molecules.

Question 14

Which of the following would be classified as an example of nerve deafness?

Accepted Answer

Nerve deafness, also known as sensorineural hearing loss, is caused by damage to the inner ear, specifically the hair cells of the cochlea or the auditory nerve. The loss of certain hair cells on the organ of Corti would be an example of nerve deafness. A punctured eardrum and damaged hammer bone would be classified as conductive hearing loss, while a stirrup that is partially disconnected from the oval window would be a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Question 15

Hearing aids may correct many forms of conduction deafness,but they do little to rectify problems caused by _________ deafness.

Accepted Answer

Nerve deafness is caused by damage to the auditory nerve or hair cells in the inner ear and cannot be corrected by hearing aids, while conduction deafness is caused by problems in the outer or middle ear that can be helped by amplification. Permanent and congenital deafness can be caused by both types of hearing loss, but mechanical deafness is not a recognized term in audiology.

Question 16

Susan suffered from scarlet fever when she was three years old.The primary residual damage is lost hearing in her left ear.Susan has been able to compensate well,asking people to speak louder and always sitting in the front row in her school classrooms.Due to her impaired binaural system,she still has difficulty,however,with ___________.

Accepted Answer

Sound localization involves the ability to perceive the location of a sound source in space, which requires the input from both ears. As Susan has lost hearing in one ear, she would have difficulty with sound localization. She would still be able to detect high amplitude sound waves and perceive the pitch of sounds with her remaining ear. Stimuli feature detection refers to the ability to perceive different aspects of a sound such as loudness or frequency and is not affected by Susan's hearing loss in one ear.

Question 17

Amanda's teenage son Brad plays his music very loud.Amanda now asks him to wear earphones but she can still hear the music when he has the earphones on.Brad should be concerned because:

Accepted Answer

Brad risks damaging the receptors in his inner ear because he is still able to hear the music even with earphones on, indicating that the volume is still too loud. Over time, exposure to loud music can lead to permanent damage to the hair cells in the inner ear, resulting in hearing loss or tinnitus.

Question 18

The three tiny bones located in the middle ear named the anvil,the hammer,and the stirrup serve what function?

Accepted Answer

The three bones in the middle ear, also known as the ossicles, amplify the sound waves by transmitting them from the eardrum to the inner ear. This helps to increase the intensity of the sound waves and make them easier to detect by the hair cells in the cochlea.

Question 19

Two senses whose receptors respond to chemical molecules rather than energy forms are:

Accepted Answer

Gustation (taste) receptors respond to chemical molecules in food, while olfaction (smell) receptors respond to chemical molecules in the air. Therefore, the best choice is B, which includes both gustation and olfaction.

Question 20

When a nerve impulse is sent to the brain from the ear,that impulse originates from:

Accepted Answer

The hair cells on the organ of Corti are responsible for converting sound vibrations into electrical signals that are sent as nerve impulses to the brain via the auditory nerve. The other options (eardrum, pressure at the oval window, and basilar membrane) all play important roles in the process of hearing, but they do not directly generate nerve impulses that are sent to the brain.

Quiz 5: Sensation and Perception