Universität Wien

160081 UE The Physiological and Psychological Fundamentals of Hearing (2025S)

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 16 - Musikwissenschaft und Sprachwissenschaft
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
Mo 23.06. 13:15-14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 40 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Punctual attendance on the first date is a prerequisite for participation in the course!
The number of participants is limited to a maximum of 40 students!
Language: German

  • Monday 03.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 10.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 17.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 24.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 31.03. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 07.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 28.04. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 05.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 12.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 19.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 26.05. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 02.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 16.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09
  • Monday 30.06. 13:15 - 14:45 Hörsaal 1 Musikwissenschaft UniCampus Hof 9, 3G-EG-09

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

How does the human ear work? How do nerve impulses become auditory sensations and how do auditory sensations become music? Or to put it another way: What are the limits of auditory perception? How are sound stimuli mentally represented? Sensations do not correspond 1:1 to the triggering stimuli. Since sensations are subjective and cannot be measured directly, detours have to be taken when researching them. One possibility is to examine the sensory apparatus. This falls within the field of anatomy and physiology. Another possibility is to relate stimuli and sensations and draw conclusions about how the auditory system works. This is the approach of psychoacoustics. In this course, as the name suggests, the basics of hearing physiology and psychoacoustics are taught.

Objectives:
Students who complete this course,
1. understand the physiological processes of hearing and their psychoacoustic description,
2. know the influences and limitations that hearing has on music (perception),
3. learn to critically reflect on scientific sources and content and
4. learn to comprehensibly present scientific content in oral form (presentation).

Contents:
1. anatomical basics (structure of the sense of hearing: outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, auditory pathway, auditory cortex)
2. physiology of the ear (sound reception/directional hearing through the outer ear, impedance conversion in the middle ear, stimulus conversion into neuronal signals in the inner ear)
3. basics of neurophysiology (structure of the auditory pathway, basic insights into information processing in the neuronal auditory system)
4. psychoacoustic phenomena (integration times of the ear, masking, loudness, pitch, frequency groups, etc.)
5. basics of auditory scene analysis (gestalt formation (streaming), rhythm perception, harmony perception)

Method:
Lecture: Introduction to the course and the subject areas by the lecturer
Discussion: Critical examination of the course content in discourse
Presentations: Oral presentations on the main topics by the students. Students are supported by the lecturer in planning and preparing their presentation.
Homework: independent work on selected content, usually reading sections of texts in preparation for the course topic blocks (details will be discussed in the first session)

Assessment and permitted materials

In order to complete the course, students must:
1. be in regular attendance,
2. actively participate,
3. contribute an oral presentation on a course topic, and
4. deal with the course content in smaller homework assignments

Please note: Places in courses with continuous assessment are limited and often in high demand. Therefore, the following applies in principle: Anyone who registers and does NOT deregister in time(!) will be graded in any case.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Minimum requirement:
Credit as SYS: STEOP
Crediting as MAK2: MAK1

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE COURSE WILL BE IN GERMAN!
so there is another implicit requirement: somewhat fluent German.

Assessment criteria:
The course grade is determined according to a scoring system. This will be provided and explained at the beginning of the semester.

Examination topics

See: “Contents” and “Objectives”. [“Inhalte” and “Ziele”]

Reading list

Literature (not mandatory):

For starters:
Guski, Rainer 1996. “Körperliche Ausstattung für das Hören”. In: “Wahrnehmen – Ein Lehrbuch”. Stuttgart, Kohlhammer, pp. 88–102 (Hauptbibliothek Magazin: I-1204355, Lehrbuchsammlung: PSY-645)

Hellbrück, Jürgen; Ellermeier, Wolfgang 2004. “Hören. Physiologie, Psychologie und Pathologie”. 2nd ed., Göttigen, Hogrefe (B-18944)

Spitzer, Manfred 2014. “Musik im Kopf. Hören, Musizieren, Verstehen und Erleben im neuronalen Netzwerk”. 2nd ed., Stuttgart, Schattauer (Hauptbibliothek: I-1566551)

Yost, William A. 2008. “Fundamentals of hearing. An introduction”. 5th ed., San Diego, CA, Elsevier Acad. Press (B-13362/5.Aufl.)

more detailled but also more complex:
--
Oxford Handbook of Auditory Science:
Fuchs, Paul A. (Ed.) 2010. “The Ear. The Oxford Handbook of Auditory Science”. Vol. 1, New York, NY, Oxford Univ. Press (B-18056/1)

Rees, Adrian; Palmer, Alan R. (Eds.) 2010. “The auditory Brain. The Oxford Handbook of Auditory Science”. Vol. 2, New York, NY, Oxford Univ. Press (B-18056/2)

Plack, Christopher J. (Ed.) 2010. “Hearing. The Oxford Handbook of Auditory Science”. Vol. 3, New York, NY, Oxford Univ. Press (B-18056/3)
--

Gelfand, Staley A. 2010. “Hearing. An introduction to psychological and physiological acoustics”. 5th ed., New York, NY, Informa Healthcare

Musiek, Frank E.; Baran, Jane A. (Eds.) 2020. „The Auditory System: Anatomy, Physiology, and Clinical Correlates“. San Diego, CA, Plural Publishing.

Zwicker, Eberhard; Feldtkeller, Richard 1967. “Das Ohr als Nachrichtenempfänger”. 2nd ed., Stuttgart, Hirzel (FB Psychologie: 2073)

A more exhaustive list will be provided at the start of the semester.

Association in the course directory

BA: SYS
EC: MAK2

Last modified: Th 19.06.2025 14:46