Scraping a chalkboard (also known as a blackboard) with one's fingernails produces a sound and feeling which most people find extremely irritating. The basis of the innate reaction to the sound has been studied in the field of psychoacoustics (the branch of psychology concerned with the perception of sound and its physiological effects).
In response to audio stimuli, the mind's way of interpreting sound can be translated through a regulatory process called the reticular activating system. Located in the brain stem, the reticular activating system continually listens, even throughout delta-wave sleep, to determine the importance of sounds in relation to waking the cortex or the rest of the body from sleep. Chalkboard scraping, or noises that elicit an emotional response have been known to trigger tendencies from the fight or flight response which acts as the body's primary self-defense mechanism.[1]
Emotional response
Distinct emotion
A study published in 2017, in Frontiers in Psychology, found that the emotion elicited by this sound and similar sounds such as a knife scraping a plate, was similar to but distinct from disgust. The physiological response was a very slight initial fall in heart rate followed by a sharp rise, returning to normal after about 6 seconds. This pattern differed from that elicited by disgust and was shared by speakers of Spanish (which has a word for the emotion: grima) and speakers of German and English (which have no single word for the emotion). Spanish volunteers who were asked to suppress their response to grima-inducing sounds were able to do so to some extent but there was no change in response to sounds that induced disgust. Some volunteers said that grima could be induced not only by sounds but also by the feel of some objects, such as sponge rubber or cork.[2][3]
Primate heritage hypothesis
One explanation for the adverse reaction is that the awful sound is similar to the warning call of a primate, back in prehistoric times. However, a study using Cotton-top tamarins, New World monkeys, found that they react similarly to both high-pitched sounds similar to fingernails on chalkboard, and to amplitude-matched white noise. In contrast, humans are less averse to the white noise than to scraping.[4]
A 1986 study used a tape-recording of a three-pronged garden tool similar to a fork being "grided" across a chalkboard, which roughly reproduces the sound of fingernails on chalkboard. The recording was then manipulated, removing pitches at the extremities and the median. The results were then played back. It was determined that the median pitches are in fact the primary cause of the adverse reaction, not the highest pitches as previously thought. The authors hypothesized that it was due to predation early in human evolution; the sound bore some resemblances to the alarm call of macaque monkeys, or it may have been similar to the call of some predator.[5] This research won one of the authors, Randolph Blake, an Ig Nobel Prize in 2006.[6] More recent research contradicts this hypothesis.[7]
Physical hypothesis
In a 2011 study, musicologists Michael Oehler and Christoph Reuter[8] hypothesize that the unpleasantness of the sound is caused by acoustic resonance due to the shape of the human ear canal which amplifies certain frequencies, especially those in the range of 2000 to 4000 Hz (the median pitches mentioned above); at such a level that the sound would trigger pain in human ears.[9]
^"The Psychology of Sound". CBC.ca. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
^Wong, Sam (28 February 2017). "The feeling you get when nails scratch a blackboard has a name". New Scientist (3115). Daily News.
^Schweiger Gallo, Inge; Fernández-Dols, José-Miguel; Gollwitzer, Peter M.; Keil, Andreas (3 February 2017). "Grima: A Distinct Emotion Concept?". Frontiers in Psychology. 8: 131–153. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00131. ISSN 1664-1078. PMC5289974. PMID 28217102.
^Roger Highfield (2005-11-14). "Study seeks root of noises that annoy us". The Vancouver Sun. p. A6.
^Lynn Halpern; Randolph Blake; James Hillenbrand (1986). "Psychoacoustics of a chilling sound". Perception & Psychophysics. 39 (2): 77–80. doi:10.3758/BF03211488. PMID 3725541.
^"Fingernails on a Chalkboard Garner Psychologist Ig Nobel Prize". 2006-10-08. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
^Trevor J. Cox (2008). "Scraping sounds and disgusting noises". Applied Acoustics. 69 (12): 1195–1204. CiteSeerX10.1.1.399.6402. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2007.11.004.
chalkboard, scraping, scraping, chalkboard, also, known, blackboard, with, fingernails, produces, sound, feeling, which, most, people, find, extremely, irritating, basis, innate, reaction, sound, been, studied, field, psychoacoustics, branch, psychology, conce. Scraping a chalkboard also known as a blackboard with one s fingernails produces a sound and feeling which most people find extremely irritating The basis of the innate reaction to the sound has been studied in the field of psychoacoustics the branch of psychology concerned with the perception of sound and its physiological effects Contents 1 Physiological response 1 1 Brain stem reflex 2 Emotional response 2 1 Distinct emotion 2 2 Primate heritage hypothesis 2 3 Physical hypothesis 3 See also 4 ReferencesPhysiological response EditBrain stem reflex Edit In response to audio stimuli the mind s way of interpreting sound can be translated through a regulatory process called the reticular activating system Located in the brain stem the reticular activating system continually listens even throughout delta wave sleep to determine the importance of sounds in relation to waking the cortex or the rest of the body from sleep Chalkboard scraping or noises that elicit an emotional response have been known to trigger tendencies from the fight or flight response which acts as the body s primary self defense mechanism 1 Emotional response EditDistinct emotion Edit A study published in 2017 in Frontiers in Psychology found that the emotion elicited by this sound and similar sounds such as a knife scraping a plate was similar to but distinct from disgust The physiological response was a very slight initial fall in heart rate followed by a sharp rise returning to normal after about 6 seconds This pattern differed from that elicited by disgust and was shared by speakers of Spanish which has a word for the emotion grima and speakers of German and English which have no single word for the emotion Spanish volunteers who were asked to suppress their response to grima inducing sounds were able to do so to some extent but there was no change in response to sounds that induced disgust Some volunteers said that grima could be induced not only by sounds but also by the feel of some objects such as sponge rubber or cork 2 3 Primate heritage hypothesis Edit One explanation for the adverse reaction is that the awful sound is similar to the warning call of a primate back in prehistoric times However a study using Cotton top tamarins New World monkeys found that they react similarly to both high pitched sounds similar to fingernails on chalkboard and to amplitude matched white noise In contrast humans are less averse to the white noise than to scraping 4 A 1986 study used a tape recording of a three pronged garden tool similar to a fork being grided across a chalkboard which roughly reproduces the sound of fingernails on chalkboard The recording was then manipulated removing pitches at the extremities and the median The results were then played back It was determined that the median pitches are in fact the primary cause of the adverse reaction not the highest pitches as previously thought The authors hypothesized that it was due to predation early in human evolution the sound bore some resemblances to the alarm call of macaque monkeys or it may have been similar to the call of some predator 5 This research won one of the authors Randolph Blake an Ig Nobel Prize in 2006 6 More recent research contradicts this hypothesis 7 Physical hypothesis Edit In a 2011 study musicologists Michael Oehler and Christoph Reuter 8 hypothesize that the unpleasantness of the sound is caused by acoustic resonance due to the shape of the human ear canal which amplifies certain frequencies especially those in the range of 2000 to 4000 Hz the median pitches mentioned above at such a level that the sound would trigger pain in human ears 9 See also EditChalkboard paint ShrillnessReferences Edit The Psychology of Sound CBC ca Retrieved 15 October 2018 Wong Sam 28 February 2017 The feeling you get when nails scratch a blackboard has a name New Scientist 3115 Daily News Schweiger Gallo Inge Fernandez Dols Jose Miguel Gollwitzer Peter M Keil Andreas 3 February 2017 Grima A Distinct Emotion Concept Frontiers in Psychology 8 131 153 doi 10 3389 fpsyg 2017 00131 ISSN 1664 1078 PMC 5289974 PMID 28217102 Roger Highfield 2005 11 14 Study seeks root of noises that annoy us The Vancouver Sun p A6 Lynn Halpern Randolph Blake James Hillenbrand 1986 Psychoacoustics of a chilling sound Perception amp Psychophysics 39 2 77 80 doi 10 3758 BF03211488 PMID 3725541 Fingernails on a Chalkboard Garner Psychologist Ig Nobel Prize 2006 10 08 Retrieved 2008 04 09 Trevor J Cox 2008 Scraping sounds and disgusting noises Applied Acoustics 69 12 1195 1204 CiteSeerX 10 1 1 399 6402 doi 10 1016 j apacoust 2007 11 004 Christoph Reuter Michael Oehler 2011 Psychoacoustics of chalkboard squeaking Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 130 4 2545 Bibcode 2011ASAJ 130R2545R doi 10 1121 1 3655174 Acoustical Society of America Psychoacoustics of chalkboard squeaking acoustics org Retrieved 10 October 2016 This psychology related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chalkboard scraping amp oldid 1119577934, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
