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basilar membrane

a fibrous membrane within the cochlea that supports the organ of Corti. In response to sound, the basilar membrane vibrates; this leads to stimulation of the hair cells—the auditory receptors within the organ of Corti. The mechanical properties of the basilar membrane vary over its length (34 mm in humans), giving rise to a pattern of movement known as a traveling wave, or Békésy traveling wave. The location of the maximum movement depends on the frequency of the sound. This fundamental aspect of mammalian hearing was discovered by Georg von Békésy.

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Psychology term of the day

January 18th 2025

group fallacy

group fallacy

1. the assumption, regarded as erroneous, that the actions and experiences of people in groups cannot be understood completely through analysis of the qualities of the individual members.

2. the mistaken assumption that a group is totally uniform, whereas in fact members differ from one another in many respects. See also outgroup homogeneity bias.