PSYCH 1XX3 Study Guide - Final Guide: Basilar Membrane, Oval Window, Sine Wave

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH 1XX3
• Professor: Christopher Teeter

Document Summary

The auditory system can translate sound waves from vibrating objects into the psychological experience of audition. Sound is the result of our interpretation of waves. Auditory mechanisms vary across different species according to specific needs. One way that the hearing abilities of various species differ is the range of frequencies that can be detected. For example, a dog whistle produces a sound at high frequency that is beyond the range of human ears but well within the range of a dog"s auditory system. Humans can perceive sounds that lie anywhere between 20-20000hz. Relatively speaking whales, dolphins and dogs have a wider hearing range while frogs, and birds have a much narrower range of frequencies that they can detect. At the lower frequency detection extreme are fish while at the higher frequency detection extreme are bats and rodents. Audible frequency range is determined in part by the evolution of the structures of the auditory system.