Introductory psychologyLesson 2 of 6 in the course Sensation and Perception

Wave Properties in Vision and Hearing

5 flashcards · 4 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

Save course
Lesson progress
0 / 5

Your progress is kept in this browser only.Sign up to save it

Summary

Visual and auditory stimuli take the form of waves. This lesson introduces the basic properties shared by waves and explains how the properties of light waves relate to what people see.

A wave has several physical characteristics. Amplitude is the distance from the wave’s center line to the top of a crest or the bottom of a trough. It describes how far the wave extends from its center line.

All flashcards

What is amplitude?
Amplitude is a wave’s distance from its center line to a crest or trough.
What is wavelength?
Wavelength is the distance between corresponding points on successive waves, such as adjacent peaks.
What is frequency?
Frequency is the number of waves passing a point per unit of time; it is commonly measured in hertz.
What is timbre?
Timbre is the distinctive character of a sound, shaped by frequency, amplitude, and timing.
How are light wavelength and amplitude related to perception?
Wavelength is associated with perceived color, while amplitude is associated with brightness or intensity.

Quiz questions

  1. What does the amplitude of a wave measure?Answer: The distance from its center line to a crest or trough.
  2. How is sound frequency generally related to perceived pitch?Answer: Higher frequency is generally heard as higher pitch.
  3. Why can a piano and a flute sound different while playing the same note at the same loudness?Answer: Their sound waves have different patterns that produce distinct timbres.
  4. Which part of the electromagnetic spectrum can honeybees detect that humans generally cannot see?Answer: Ultraviolet light.

Based on Psychology 2e by Rose M. Spielman, William J. Jenkins, Marilyn D. Lovett (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

More in Introductory psychology

All Introductory psychology lessons
Introductory psychologyEmotion: Components, Theories, Brain Systems, and Expression5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Introductory psychologySexuality and Gender: Biology, Research, Identity, and Culture5 flashcards · 4 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Introductory psychologyObservational Learning: Modeling, Vicarious Consequences, and Social Influence5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Introductory psychologyStress, Immunity, Cardiovascular Risk, Asthma, and Headaches5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Introductory psychologyHumanistic Psychology: Maslow’s Needs and Rogers’s Self-Concept5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Introductory psychologyTrait Models: Allport, Cattell, Eysenck, the Big Five, and HEXACO5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →