ISVR1001 Sound Perception
Knowledge and understanding
Students should be able to describe the structure and function of the human auditory system, and how this biological system codes and interprets the physical properties of sound in air. Students will be able to express/describe some sound perceptions by mathematical means. In addition, students will have the basic knowledge to relate hearing function to basic acoustical measurements.
Cognitive (thinking) skills
Having successfully completed the module, students will be able to:
- Read, understand and interpret basic literature relating to the reception of sound by the human auditory system
- Recognise what features of a sound will be audible and measurable;
- Recognise what degree of change in an acoustic feature will register with the auditory system and which will not (and why not).
Key transferable skills
Students will have some degree of exposure to significant digits, working with logarithmic quantities, SI units, reference values, and British and International Standards. Students will also become acquainted with their basic tool, the Sound Level Meter.
Module Details
Title: Sound Perception
Code: ISVR1001
Year: BEng/MEng Acoustical Engineering,
BSc Acoustics and Music Part 1
Semester: Semester 1
CATS points: 10 CAT Points (= 100 hours) ECTS points: NaN
Level: Undergraduate
Co-ordinator(s): , Dr Stefan Bleeck
Pre-requisites and / or co-requisites
None
The aim of this module is to develop in the students a basic understanding of human hearing capabilities in relation to practical acoustic measurements.
The series of lectures, and a single laboratory session, will provide information on the structure, function and capabilities (and limitations) of the human auditory system in relation to the magnitude-frequency-time characteristics of simple and complex sounds.
| SOUND | PERCEPTION |
| magnitude: power, intensity, pressure levels (in decibels) reference values | ear as pressure transducer: outer ear ... resonance middle ear ... transformer inner ear ... transducer ear’s logarithmic response to variation of sound pressure neural pathways to brain analog -v- digital level, frequency, time |
| frequency tones, complex sounds, noise octave bands one-third ocave bands |
pitch freq. limits of human hearing infrasound, ultrasound freq. analysis by the auditory system auditory filters masking critical bands just noticeabe difference |
| combining levels, decibel addition combining magnitude and freq. spectrum freq.weightings in meas. Instruments A, C linear |
loudness minimum audible field growth of loudness just noticeable difference non-linearities |
| time weightings in meas.iInstruments S, F. I, peak |
integration gap detection pre- and post-stimulatory masking |
| other aspects of time: equiv. Contin. A-wt. Sound level Daily Personal Exposure Level< r> distribution of levels, e.g. L10, L50, L90 Sound Exposure Level |
practical assessments environmental noise occupational noise transportation noise impact/impulse noise |
| speech as a signal level, frequency, time |
speech reception intelligibility localisation, binaural hearing precedence, reverberation |
Study time allocation
Contact hours: Lectures (2h/wk) = 24 hours Laboratory session (1) = 3 hours
Private study hours: 10 hours assignments; 10 hours lab reports;
up to 30 hours additional hours (including study and revision time)
Total study time:
NaN
hours
Teaching and learning methods
Two lecture periods per week. One laboratory session.
Students need to work in their own time to complete the assignments and lab report, and are able to seek advice and assistance from either of the lecturers. The assignments have some "hidden" content which should become second nature to scientists and engineers, as well as acoustical calculations such as manipulation of decibels and exponential expressions.
Students are made aware of supporting texts: a booklist is provided.
Resources and reading list
Secondary text
Introduction to the Psychology of Hearing
4th Edition, 1997
3rd Edition, 1989
2nd Edition, 1982, B.C.J. Moore, Academic Press
01250556273
0125056230
Introduction to the Physiology of Hearing
2nd edition, 1988
1st edition, 1982, J.O. Pickles, Academic Press, London
0122547536
0122547501
Noise and Man
2nd edition, 1974, W. Burns, John Murray, London
0719527120
The Effects of Noise on Man
2nd Edition, 1985, K.D. Kryter, Academic Press
0124274609
The Handbook of Hearing and the Effects of Noise, 1994, K.D. Kryter, Academic Press
0124274552
Assessment methods
| Assessment method | Number | % contribution to final mark |
| Assignments | 3 | 35 |
| Lab | 1 | 15 |
| Exam | 1 | 50 |