![]() ![]() ![]() In the current chapter, only non-speech auditory psychophysics are discussed ( Chapter 12 focuses on the perception of speech). The pinnacle of these complicated processes is the way in which speech acoustic signals are transformed to speech and language perception. However, the auditory system, like other sensory-perceptual systems, is not passive it not only transmits, but also transduces, transforms, and codes signal characteristics to produce psychological responses to sound that are not mere reflections of the signal. Why is a chapter on auditory psychoacoustics necessary, separate from a chapter on characteristics of acoustic signals ( Chapter 7)? If acoustic signals are simply conveyed by the peripheral and central structures of the auditory system in their physical form of frequencies, amplitudes, durations, and other features, knowledge of acoustic signal characteristics would be sufficient. The term “perception” has been reserved for the more elaborated psychological processes taking place at subcortical and cortical levels. On the psychological side of the term, there has been a tendency to equate “sensation” with peripheral (outside the central nervous system) and perhaps brainstem responses to a physical stimulus. The “physics” part of “psychophysics” refers to characteristics of the physical stimulus, the “psycho” part to the psychological responses to the composition and change of the physical stimulus. Such systems include visual, olfactory, tactile, taste, and, of course, auditory systems. The term “psychophysics” is relevant to any biological system that transduces and processes physical attributes of events in the environment and transforms them into sensations and perceptions. Auditory psychophysics (also called psychoacoustics) is a branch of science that is concerned with the effects of physical stimuli (in this case, sound waves) on the psychological responses of humans. ![]()
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