Asked by Julia Cohon on Sep 29, 2024

What is the major flaw in the frequency theory of pitch perception

A)  It places the transduction process in the semi-circular canals and not the cochlea. 
B)  Structurally, it is impossible for the basilar membrane to vibrate. 
C)  The action of the ossicles interacting with the auditory nerve was misidentified. 
D)  Neurons cannot fire fast enough to account for hearing tones higher than 1,000 cycles/second.

Frequency Theory

A theory of hearing which suggests that the frequency of the auditory nerve's impulses corresponds to the frequency of a sound wave, enabling us to detect pitch.

Pitch Perception

The auditory sensation through which a listener can identify musical notes as higher or lower in the scale, fundamentally dependent on the frequency of the sound wave.

Basilar Membrane

A structure in the cochlea of the inner ear that plays a key role in the mechanical to physiological transduction of sound.

  • Understand different models that elucidate how pitch is perceived.