Deck 10: Hearing in the Environment

Question 1

The _______ is the difference in time between a sound arriving at one ear versus the other and helps us localize sound.

A) azimuth
B) interaural time difference
C) interaural level difference
D) cone of confusion
E) sound shadow

Answer 1

interaural time difference

Question 2

The azimuth is the

A) distance between the sound and the ears.
B) location of the sound in space.
C) angle of a sound source on the horizontal plane relative to a point in the center of the head between the ears.
D) idea that the ears receive slightly different inputs when the sound source is located to one side or the other.
E) difference in time between a sound arriving at one ear versus the other.

Answer 2

angle of a sound source on the horizontal plane relative to a point in the center of the head between the ears.

Question 3

Suppose you are in the woods and hear a high-pitched screech (above 1000 Hz). Which auditory localization cue will help you determine where the sound came from?

A) Interaural timbre difference
B) Interaural attack difference
C) Interaural decay difference
D) Interaural level difference
E) Interaural time difference

Answer 3

Interaural level difference

Question 4

Refer to the figure.
The blue circles in this interaural time difference diagram refer to locations from which sound reaches the _______ first.

A) right ear
B) left ear
C) brain stem
D) pons
E) superior olive

Question 5

Which method(s) of sound localization between the two ears is/are used most often for tones of very low frequencies?

A) Interaural time difference
B) Interaural level difference
C) Interaural frequency difference
D) Interaural echo difference
E) Both interaural time and level differences

Question 6

Which method(s) of sound localization between the two ears is/are used most often for tones of very high frequencies?

A) Interaural time difference
B) Interaural level difference
C) Interaural frequency difference
D) Interaural echo difference
E) Both interaural time and level differences

Question 7

Refer to the graph.
This graph shows _______ for tones of different frequencies presented at different positions around the head.

A) interaural level differences
B) cones of confusion
C) pitch differences
D) loudness differences
E) interaural time differences

Question 8

Which direction on the azimuth would have the largest interaural time difference?

A) 0°
B) 30°
C) 60°
D) 90°
E) 120°

Question 9

_______ refers to the region of positions in space where all the sounds produce the same time and level (intensity) differences.

A) Cochlear region
B) Sound source
C) Cone of confusion
D) Medial region
E) Azimuth

Question 10

Which of the following do(es) not contribute to sound localization?

A) Interaural time difference
B) Interaural level difference
C) Lateral superior olives
D) The cone of confusion
E) Turning the head

Question 11

Refer to the figure.
What concept does this figure illustrate?

A) Sound ambiguities cannot be resolved even if the observer turns their head.
B) After hearing a noise, people usually turn their heads reflexively.
C) Interaural time differences do not allow for sound localization.
D) Interaural level differences do not allow for sound localization.
E) Turning one's head can help with sound localization.

Question 12

The _______ is 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.

A) combination function
B) directional transfer function
C) inverse-square law
D) localization function
E) azimuth

Question 13

Refer to the graphs.
These graphs illustrate the

A) cone of confusion.
B) localization functions.
C) combination functions.
D) inverse-square law.
E) directional transfer functions.

Question 14

If someone's lateral superior olive structures are destroyed, they are most likely to experience difficulty using

A) interaural time differences to localize low-frequency sounds.
B) interaural time differences to localize high-frequency sounds.
C) interaural level differences to localize low-frequency sounds.
D) interaural level differences to localize high-frequency sounds.
E) timbre to localize low-frequency sounds.

Question 15

If someone's medial superior olive structures are destroyed, they are most likely to experience difficulty using

A) interaural time differences to localize low-frequency sounds.
B) interaural time differences to localize high-frequency sounds.
C) interaural level differences to localize low-frequency sounds.
D) interaural level differences to localize high-frequency sounds.
E) timbre to localize low-frequency sounds.

Question 16

The _______ is the relay station in the brain stem where inputs from both ears contribute to the detection of interaural time differences.

A) medial superior olive
B) cochlea
C) pons
D) lateral superior olive
E) frontal lobe

Question 17

The _______ is a relay station in the brain stem where inputs from both ears contribute to the detection of interaural level differences.

A) medial superior olive
B) cochlea
C) pons
D) lateral superior olive
E) hypothalamus

Question 18

Neurons that are sensitive to intensity differences between the two ears can be found in the

A) medial superior olives.
B) lateral superior olives.
C) brain stem.
D) cochlear muscles.
E) ossicles.

Question 19

Damage to which structure would specifically impair computations of interaural time differences?

A) Cochlear nucleus
B) Lateral superior olive
C) Medial superior olive
D) Medial nucleus of the trapezoid body
E) Inferior colliculus

Question 20

Damage to which structure would specifically impair computations of interaural level differences?

A) Cochlear nucleus
B) Lateral superior olive
C) Medial superior olive
D) Medial nucleus of the trapezoid body
E) Inferior colliculus

Question 21

According to the inverse-square law, as distance from a source _______, intensity _______ faster such that the _______ in intensity is the distance squared.

A) increases; increases; increase
B) decreases; decreases; decrease
C) decreases; decreases; increase
D) increases; decreases; decrease
E) increases; increases; decrease

Question 22

Refer to the figure.
This figure demonstrates that the relative amounts of direct and reverberant energy coming from the listener's neighbor and the singer will inform him of the

A) location of the prime sound source.
B) intensity level of the sound source.
C) time it takes for sound to arrive to his ears.
D) relative distances of the two sound sources.
E) absolute distance of the direct energy source.

Question 23

Suppose you get a new ear piercing that dramatically changes the shape of your pinna and causes you to have trouble localizing sounds. From which direction will you have the hardest time localizing sounds, and why?

A) Sounds from the side, due to changes in interaural time differences
B) Sounds from the side, due to changes in interaural level differences
C) Sounds from above, due to changes in interaural time differences
D) Sounds from above, due to changes in interaural level differences
E) Sounds from above, due to changes in the direction transfer function

Question 24

Which term describes the spectrum of a complex sound in which energy is at integer multiples of the fundamental frequency?

A) Inverse-square law
B) Harmonic spectrum
C) Missing fundamental
D) Resonance
E) Timbre

Question 25

_______ is the lowest-frequency component of a complex periodic sound.

A) Harmonic sound
B) Missing fundamental
C) Fundamental frequency
D) Timbre
E) Pitch

Question 26

Refer to the figure.
Even if the lowest frequency of a harmonic sound is removed (as in the figure), listeners still hear the pitch of this

A) timbre.
B) missing fundamental.
C) vibration.
D) attack.
E) chord.

Question 27

Refer to the figure.
This figure demonstrates that when only three harmonics of the same fundamental frequency are presented (B-D), listeners still hear the pitch of the fundamental frequency because the harmonics all

A) share a common energy fluctuation of 250 Hz.
B) have the same intensity.
C) occur at the same time.
D) peak at the same amplitude which changes the frequency into a 250-Hz signal.
E) share the same pitch.

Question 28

_______ is the psychological sensation by which a listener can judge that two sounds with the same loudness and pitch are dissimilar.

A) Attack
B) Decay
C) Timbre
D) Consonance
E) Dissonance

Question 29

_______ is the complex quality of sound that lets us distinguish a note played on the piano from the same note played on a trumpet.

A) Consonance
B) Dissonance
C) Attack
D) Decay
E) Timbre

Question 30

The part of a sound during which amplitude increases is known as

A) decay.
B) start note.
C) attack.
D) octave.
E) pitch.

Question 31

The part of a sound during which amplitude decreases is known as

A) instrumental decrease.
B) sound decline.
C) end note.
D) decay.
E) tone.

Question 32

When you pluck the string on a violin rather than use a bow to play the same note, which sound aspect is the most different?

A) Attack
B) Decay
C) Tone
D) Octave
E) Fundamental frequency

Question 33

Source segregation involves the

A) distinction of various harmonic sounds in the broader environment.
B) tuning to one particular sound.
C) combination of various harmonic sounds into one.
D) missing fundamental.
E) distinction of auditory events in the broader environment.

Question 34

_______ is the perceptual organization of a complex acoustic signal into separate auditory events.

A) Auditory stream segregation
B) Source segregation
C) Harmonic sound perception
D) Grouping by onset
E) Acoustic grouping

Question 35

Which of the following describes the phenomenon of, for example, being able to identify the different instruments in a composition based on their distinctive sound characteristics?

A) Grouping by onset
B) Grouping by timbre
C) Grouping by continuity
D) Grouping by decay
E) Restoration effects

Question 36

A very simple example of auditory stream segregation involves two tones with similar frequencies that are

A) played continuously together.
B) alternated.
C) started together at the same time.
D) different in amplitude.
E) missing fundamentals.

Question 37

Which of the following does not contribute to auditory stream segregation?

A) The perceived locations of the sound sources
B) The onset of the different sound sources
C) The timbre of the different sound sources
D) The pitch of the different sound sources
E) The different sound sources added together

Question 38

Which of the following describes the phenomenon of grouping sounds that begin at the same time?

A) Grouping by onset
B) Grouping by timbre
C) Grouping by continuity
D) Grouping by decay
E) Restoration effects

Question 39

_______ effects have been demonstrated in the laboratory with a wide variety of target sounds and interrupting sounds. The simplest version of such an experiment is to delete portions of a pure tone and replace them with noise.

A) Alternating
B) Decay
C) Continuity
D) Restoration
E) Auditory segregation

Question 40

_______ is a process by which missing or degraded acoustic signals are perceptually replaced.

A) Good continuation
B) Appropriate grouping rule
C) Perceptual filling
D) Perceptual restoration
E) Auditory stream segregation

Question 41

_______ describes the very rapid motor response to a sudden sound.

A) Knee-jerk reaction
B) Acoustic surprise reaction
C) Acoustic startle reflex
D) Auditory surprise effect
E) Auditory defense reaction

Question 42

Suppose you watch a scary movie in a theater and a loud noise causes you to jump in your seat. You have just experienced

A) a knee-jerk reaction.
B) an acoustic surprise reaction.
C) the auditory surprise effect.
D) an auditory defense reaction.
E) an acoustic startle reflex.

Question 43

How many auditory streams can we humans accurately monitor at once?

A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
E) Five

Question 44

What is the directional transfer function?

Question 45

What is timbre?

Question 46

What is a restoration effect in auditory perception?

Question 47

What is the acoustic startle reflex?

Question 48

Describe the two major cues that our brain uses to localize sound waves.

Question 49

What is auditory stream segregation and what cues does the brain use to achieve it?