frequency theory

a late 19th-century theory specifying that pitch is coded by the rate at which action potentials are generated by auditory neurons within the basilar membrane of the ear. According to this theory, the wavelength (frequency) of a tone is precisely replicated in the electrical impulses transmitted through the auditory nerve. For example, a 100 Hz tone would be signaled by 100 impulses per second in the auditory nerve. However, frequency theory cannot explain the perception of sounds above 500 Hz because the refractory period of a neuron renders it incapable of firing at a rate greater than 500 impulses per second. This discrepancy was accounted for by the later volley theory. Also called telephone theory. [proposed in 1886 by William Rutherford (1839–1899), British physiologist]

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Psychology term of the day

February 17th 2025

panacea

n. a solution or remedy for everything that is wrong with a given problem or that universally applies to a set of related problems.