Other Sensory Systems
Auditory memory – being able to
AUDITORY SYSTEM
 The EAR – the organ that detects sound waves
 We detect both the (1) wavelength and the (2) amplitude
of sound waves.
 Frequency – the wavelength, is measured in terms of
the number of waves that arrive per second and
determined our perception of pitch.
o Pitch – the perceived frequency of a sound.
 Amplitude – height of the sound wave, determines how
much energy it contains and is perceived as loudness.
o Loudness – the degree of sound volume;
measured using the unit of relative loudness
known as the decibel; larger waves are
perceived as louder.
THEORETICAL BASES OF PITCH PERCEPTION
 The frequency theory of hearing – theory that proposes
that whatever pitch of a sound wave, nerve impulses of
a corresponding frequency will be sent to the auditory
nerve.
 The place theory of hearing – theory that proposes that
different areas of the cochlea respond to different
frequencies.
HEARING PROBLEMS
 Auditory Processing Disorder – is a disorder of the
auditory (hearing) system that causes a disruption in the
way that an individual’s brain understands what they are
hearing.
o Causes: illness, premature birth, head injury,
genes
o Types:
1. Auditory Discrimination – noticing
small differences between words.
2. Auditory figure-ground
discrimination – being able to pick
out specific words in a loud or noisy
background.
3.
recall what was said, like
remembering phone numbers or song
lyrics.
4. Auditory sequencing –
understanding and recalling the order
of words.
 Tinnitus – is when you experience ringing or other
noises in one or both of your ears. The noise you hear
when you have tinnitus isn’t cause by an external sound,
and other people usually can’t hear it.
o Causes: age-related hearing loss, an ear injury,
a problem with the circulatory system
o Symptoms: other phantom noises (buzzing,
roaring, clicking, hissing, humming)
 Hearing Loss – this hearing problem comes on little by
little as you age, also known as presbycusis, is common.
o Types:
1. Conductive – hearing loss disorder;
which involves the outer ear of
middle ear.
2. Sensorineural – hearing loss
disorder; which involves the inner ear.
3. Mixed – hearing loss disorder; which
is a mix of two.
IMPORTANCE OF AUDITORY SYSTEM
 Communication and Language: The auditory system
enables our ability to perceive and comprehend spoken
language.
 Cognitive Processing: Auditory perception and
processing contribute to various cognitive functions.
 Emotional Processing: Sound and music have a
powerful impact on our emotions.
 Psychopathology and Disorders: Auditory processing
deficits can be associated with various psychological
disorders.
 Cross-modal Integrations: The auditory system
interacts with other sensory organs, leading to cross-
modal integration.
VESTIBULAR SYSTEM – is a complex sensory
system located in the inner ear that contributes to our

 It allows us to have a sense of where our body is in

sense of balance, spatial orientation, and coordination
of movement.
 It provides information to the brain about the body’s
position, motion, and acceleration in relation to gravity.
IMPORTANCE OF VESTIBULAR SYSTEM
 Body Perception and Self-Awareness: The vestibular
system provides essential information about the body's
position, movement, and orientation in space.
 Spatial Cognition and Navigation: The vestibular
system helps us perceive and navigate through the
physical environment.
 Emotion and Arousal: The vestibular system has
connections to brain regions involved in emotion and
arousal regulation.
 Multisensory Integration: The vestibular system
integrates with other sensory systems, such as vision
and proprioception, to provide a unified perception of
the environment.
 Clinical Implications: Disorders of the vestibular
system, such as vestibular dysfunctions and balance
disorders, can have psychological consequences.
Individals with vestibular disorders may experience
symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, and postural
instability, which can impact their quality of life and
mental well- being.
 Cognitive Implications: Emerging research suggests
that the vestibular system plays a role in cognitive
processes such as attention, memory, and executive
functions.
space and how it is moving without having to rely on
visual cues.
IMPORTANCE OF PROPRIOCEPTIVE SYSTEM
 Motor Control and Coordination: The proprioceptive
system is essential for motor control and coordination.
 Body awareness and Self-Perception: The
proprioceptive system contributes to our sense of body
awareness and self-perception.
 Spatial Perception and Navigation: The proprioceptive
system contributes to spatial perception and the ability
to navigate in the environment.
 Emotional Regulation and Interoception: The
proprioceptive system is interconnected with emotional
regulation and interoception, which is the perception of
internal bodily sensations.
 Mind-Body Connection: The proprioceptive system
provides a link between the mind and body, connecting
sensory input with cognitive and emotional processes.
INTEROCEPTIVE SYSTEM – is a complex
network of sensory pathways and neural structures that

PROPRIOCEPTIVE SYSTEM – is a sensory system

that provides information about the position,
movement, and orientation of our body parts.
 also known as proprioception. provides information about the internal state of the
body.
 It enables us to perceive and regulate internal bodily
sensations, such as hunger, thirst, pain, temperature,
heart rate, and respiration.
IMPORTANCE OF INTEROCEPTIVE SYSTEM
 Emotion and Emotional Regulation: The interoceptive
system provides information about internal bodily
states, including heartbeat, respiration, and sensations
related to hunger, thirst, and pain.
 Self-awareness and Self-Regulation: Interoception
contributes to self-awareness, allowing individuals to
recognize and interpret their bodily sensations.
 Decision-making and Risk Assessment: Interoceptive
signals influence decision-making processes. Our
internal bodily sensations can act as cues that guide our
decisions, such as recognizing hunger and making
choices about eating.
 Psychopathology and Mental Health: Disruptions in
interoception are associated with various
psychopathological conditions. For example,
individuals with eating disorders may have distorted
interoceptive awareness related to hunger and satiety
cues.
 Mind-Body Connection: The interoceptive system
bridges the gap between the mind and body,
highlighting the bidirectional relationship between
bodily sensations and psychological processes.
 Mindfulness and Well-being: Interoceptive awareness
is a key component of mindfulness practices.
NOCICEPTIVE SYSTEM – is a complex network of
sensory nerves, receptors, and pathways that are
responsible for detecting and processing pain signals in
the body.
 The term “nociception” refers to the physiological
process of encoding and transmitting pain signals from
various parts of the body to the brain.
IMPORTANCE OF NOCICEPTIVE SYSTEM
 Pain Perception and Experience: The nociceptive
system allows us to perceive and experience pain
 Emotional and Affective Responses: Pain elicits
emotional and affective responses.
 Chronic Pain and Pain Disorders: Chronic pain is a
significant psychological and medical problem. The
nociceptive system's dysfunction or maladaptive
responses can contribute to the development and
maintenance of chronic pain conditions.
 Pain Perception Modulation: The nociceptive system
can be modulated by various factors, including
attention, expectations, and psychological states.
Psychological processes, such as distraction, cognitive
reappraisal, and placebo effects, can influence pain
perception.
 Psychosocial Factors and Pain: The nociceptive
system does not operate in isolation but interacts with
psychosocial factors, such as stress, anxiety, depression,
and social support. Psychological factors can influence
pain sensitivity, pain tolerance, and pain-related
disability.
 Pain and Quality of Life: Pain has a significant impact
on individuals' quality of life and psychological well-
being
SYNESTHESIA – is a neurological phenomenon in
which the stimulation of one sensory or cognitive
pathway leads to the involuntary and automatic
experience of another sensory or cognitive pathway.
 In simpler terms, it’s a condition in which a person’s
senses are blended together.
TYPES OF SYNESTHESIA
1. Grapheme-color synesthesia: This is the most common
form of synesthesia, where individuals associate
specific colors with letters, numbers, or other
characters.
2. Chromesthesia: Also known as sound-color
synesthesia, this type involves perceiving sounds or
music as colors.
3. Number-form synesthesia: In this type, numbers evoke
spatial relationships and individuals might perceive
numbers as having a specific location or spatial layout.
4. Lexical-gustatory synesthesia: It involves the
experience of taste sensations when hearing or thinking
about words. Certain words or sounds can trigger
specific tastes in individuals with this form of
synesthesia.
5. Spatial sequence synesthesia: People with this type of
synesthesia perceive numbers, days of the week,
months, or other sequences as having a specific spatial
layout or arrangement.
6. Mirror-touch synesthesia: This type involves feeling a
physical sensation on one's own body when seeing
someone else being touched or experiencing a tactile
sensation.
7. Olfactory-color synesthesia: This form of synesthesia
involves perceiving scents or smells as having
associated colors. Certain smells may trigger specific
colors or visual experiences.
8. Ordinal-linguistic personification synesthesia: People Health Jade Team. (2019). Vestibular system. Health Jade.
with this type of synesthesia ascribe personalities or
traits to numbers, letters, or other linguistic units. https://healthjade.net/vestibular-system/

IMPORTANCE OF SYNESTHESIA Pathway of pain. (n.d.).

 Perception and Sensory Processing: Synesthesia https://es.slideshare.net/tehrim18/pathway-of-pain

provides a unique window into the study of perception
and sensory processing. Your 8 Senses | Making Sense Occupational therapy. (2021,
 Cross-Modal Processing: Synesthesia highlights the
phenomenon of cross-modal processing, where May 7). Making Sense Occupational Therapy.
information from one sensory modality can influence or
https://sensetherapy.ca/your-8-senses/
interact with another.
 Cognitive Processes: Synesthesia has implications for
various cognitive processes. For example, synesthetic
associations can affect memory, attention, and language
processing.
 Individual Differences and Variability: Synesthesia
demonstrates the wide range of individual differences
and variability in sensory experiences.

CROSS-MODAL PERCEPTION – refers to the

process by which information from different sensory
modalities, such as vision, hearing, touch, taste, and
smell, is integrated in the brain to form a unified
perceptual experience.
[picture]

 It involves the ability of the brain to combine and make

sense of information received from multiple sensory
channels.

EXAMPLES OF CROSS-MODAL PERCEPTION

1. The McGurk effect – is a perceptual phenomenon that

demonstrates the integration of auditory and visual
information in speech perception.
— It was first described by Harry McGurk and
John MacDonald in 1976.
2. The rubber hand illusion – is a perceptual
phenomenon that occurs when a person's sense of body
ownership is manipulated, leading them to perceive a
rubber hand as part of their own body.

REFERENCES:

Characteristics Of Sound Waves: Amplitude, Frequency,

Wavelength And Timbre | BYJU’S. (2023).

BYJUS. https://byjus.com/physics/characteristics-

of-sound-wavesamplitude/

Day, N. (2022). Everything interoception: what it is, how it

works, impact on Self-Regulation, & more. Raising

an Extraordinary Person. https://hes-

extraordinary.com/how-interoception-works