Does pitch perception shift up while growing up?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the perception of pitch and whether it changes as individuals grow from childhood to adulthood. Participants explore the anatomical development of the inner ear, the implications of sound speed, and the potential effects of aging on frequency sensitivity.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that if the inner ear grows during development, it could alter the perception of sound wavelengths, potentially making notes feel different as one ages.
  • Another participant questions the implications of the speed of sound and the dimensions of the inner ear, hinting at resonant frequencies related to pitch perception.
  • A reference is made to the cochlea reaching adult size before birth, which may imply that frequency perception is consistent across ages due to similar cochlear sizes.
  • There is a discussion about the resonant frequency of the inner ear and its relation to sound perception, with some participants seeking clarification on this concept.
  • One participant notes that hearing involves more than just the shape of the inner ear and mentions that young children may have a broader frequency range than adults, with references to charts suggesting changes in music appreciation with age.
  • Another participant confirms that higher frequency sound perception tends to decrease with age, referencing the phenomenon of presbycusis and providing an example of a sound that is inaudible to older individuals.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between inner ear development and pitch perception, with some suggesting a change in perception with age while others argue that frequency sensitivity may actually be greater in children. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

Some claims depend on assumptions about the growth of the inner ear and the relationship between cochlear size and frequency response. The discussion also touches on the effects of aging on hearing sensitivity, which may not be universally agreed upon.

jfizzix
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I think this question boils down to whether the parts of the inner ear grow from say age 6 to age 26.

My thought is that if the parts of the inner inner ear do grow a little, then their response to what was a shorter wavelength of sound in the past will be the same as to what is a longer wavelength of sound in the present. Alternatively, what a C note feels like when learning on the piano as a child, might feel up to a half step lower compared to the same note played as an adult.

If there's anyone with perfect pitch who can confirm or deny this, I would be interested. Thoughts?
 
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Speed of sound is around 300 m/s, and dimensions of inner ear are measured in mm to cm. What do those two bits of information imply?
 
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jim mcnamara said:
Hmm. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3970226/
In humans the size of cochlea reaches adult size BEFORE birth, while the child is still inside Mom.

Think about why this is the case. @Bystander gave you a strong hint.

It would make it so that the range of frequencies newborns can hear is on par with the range of frequencies parents can hear, since similarly sized cochlea, ought to respond similarly to the same wavelengths.
 
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Bystander said:
Speed of sound is around 300 m/s, and dimensions of inner ear are measured in mm to cm. What do those two bits of information imply?

Are you trying to get that the "resonant" frequency of the inner ear would be about 30 kHz to 300 kHz (i.e. speed/wavelength)?
If we think of the cochlea as some sort of acoustic waveguide, the speed of sound in the cochlear fluid (water) would be more like 1500m/s, which would make the resonant frequency 5 times higher.

I think I'm totally not getting what you're trying to get me to see. Can you tell me more?
 
jfizzix said:
"resonant" frequency of the inner ear would be about 30 kHz to 300 kHz (i.e. speed/wavelength)?
That's it, no need to overthink it.
 
I don't know if I'm understanding what your after but there is more to hearing than the shape of the inner ear and we start to loose some sensitivity quite early, young children are more likely to have a greater frequency range than parents. Reference charts are available and in this one its suggested that music appreciation might be effected from 35 onward.
 

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