periodicity theory

the theory that pitch is encoded in the temporal structure of the neural responses to sounds, specifically in the timing of neural discharges (“spikes”). For periodic sounds, the discharges of auditory nerve fibers tend to occur at integer multiples of the period of the sound. See phase locking. Compare place theory.

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Psychology term of the day

February 25th 2025

psychometric model

any theoretical and statistical framework describing how respondents generate their answers to items on a scale or instrument and explaining associated sources of error, which in turn provides a means to determine the reliability of test scores across different testing situations. There are three major approaches: classical test theory, generalizability theory, and item response theory.