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Cognitive Neuroscience
Of Hearing
SP H 520
Professor Andrew J. Lotto
Office: SPH 207E
Phone: 621-9841
Email: alotto@email.arizona.edu
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~alotto/
This course will take a multidisciplinary approach to understand the neural systems that contribute
to auditory perception and cognition, using music and speech as example domains of inquiry.
Students will master topics in acoustics, psychoacoustics, cognitive psychology, comparative
biology, and neurophysiology. The early part of the course will provide students with a common
foundation in acoustics, auditory physiology and neuroscience, and information processing models
of perception. The remainder of the semester will focus on particular accomplishments of auditory
processing including speech perception, music appreciation, and environmental sound recognition.
In-class demos and homework sets in sound manipulation and experimentation also will constitute a
means of learning about auditory cognitive neuroscience. Throughout, the focus will be upon
understanding general cognitive and perceptual challenges in perceiving and producing complex
sounds like speech and music. Topics will include rhythm in speech and music, speech perception
by adults and infants, Auditory Processing Disorder, and perceptual learning. Topics will be
addressed from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience, in that we will attempt to understand
the neural substrates as processors of information that give rise to auditory perception and
cognition.
Course Goals
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In this course, we will examine the encoding, processing and perception of complex
sounds, such as speech and music, as accomplishments of our auditory system.
Traditional examination of hearing has often concentrated on simple noises and tones.
We will embrace the complexity inherent in our communication sounds. One goal of
the course, then, is to provide an appreciation of this complexity.
This examination will take place within an interdisciplinary cognitive science
framework. A second goal will be to develop the tools for synthesis of ideas and data
from diverse fields such as auditory neurophysiology, linguistics, cognitive
development, speech production, ecology, computer science, etc.
The final goal of the course is to highlight and even develop the new exciting
questions that will be arising in the new field of Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience.
Course Structure
The first several lectures in the course are introductory to give everyone a similar
foundation background. After this initial introduction, the course will move to a
lecture/discussion format that will focus on particular topics in Auditory Cognitive
Neuroscience. There will be lists of required readings for discussion; many of them primarysource literature. Topics will be introduced in a lecture-format and then discussion will be
lead by members of the class. Class participants will be encouraged to ask questions about
basic concepts and to provide critical comments about the conclusions and theoretical
frameworks proposed in the papers. The content of the course may be tailored to the
interests of the participants as well as the availability of new findings reported in the
literature or in the popular press.
Course Requirements
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Class Participation/Leading of Discussions
It is expected that all students will engage in discussion of the articles and
topics. Each student will be required to lead the discussion on one or more
papers by providing initial questions/comments/opinions on the content of the
paper.
In Class Exam
There will be 1 in-class exam. This exam will test your knowledge and ability to
integrate knowledge with short answer and multiple-choice questions. The
exam will follow the initial set of foundational lectures and will provide
evidence that everyone has a firm grasp of the basic concepts.
Take-Home Exams
There will be 2 take-home exams with short essay questions that will require
some novel thinking about issues raised in class. These exams will be graded
on the strength of ideas and arguments presented.
Homework
There will be auditory demos on the class web site as well as freeware for
sound manipulation. Students will be assigned homework projects that allow
them to learn about sound manipulation and its effects on perception.
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Grading
Grading for SPH 520
Grading:
In Class Exam
Take-Home #1
Take-Home #2
Homework &
Discussion
TOTAL:
Percentage
20 % of overall grade
30% of overall grade
30 % of overall grade
20 % of overall grade
100%
Grading (ALL)
A
B
Percent
90-100%
80-89.9%
C
D
E
70-79.9%
60-69.9%
below 60%
Homework will consist of demos of sound manipulation.
Text / Readings
There will be a combination of primary source (journal article) readings and textbook chapters.
Primary source readings will be made available on the course website. There is a recommended
textbook. Readings from this book will be especially important for students with little background
into hearing:
Fundamentals of Hearing: An Introduction, 5th Edition
William A. Yost
Academic Press
2007
ISBN: 0 12 370473 1
Course Web Site
The course web site can be found on UA’s D2L website. If you are registered as a student, you
should have access to this site. If you have problems, please contact Prof Lotto.
The web site has information and links to the following:
- Course readings (except for textbook readings) in PDF format for you to download,
print, and read
- Homework descriptions and freeware for download to do homework
- Grades
You may also want to check out the web site of the Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience Society at:
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~alotto/ACNS/Society.htm
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Academic Integrity
Course participants are expected to adhere to the University of Arizona Code of Academic
Integrity.
Requirements of the code may be found at:
http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity
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