10 Sounds We Hate Most and Why

Scientists have discovered why unpleasant sounds trigger a negative response. When we hear unpleasant sounds such as a fork scraping a plate or nails against a chalk board, the auditory cortex of the brain and an area of the brain called theamygdala interact to produce a negative response. The auditory cortex processes sound, while the amygdala is responsible for processing emotions such as fear, anger, and pleasure. When we hear an unpleasant sound, the amygdala heightens our perception of the sound. This heightened perception is deemed distressing and memories are formed associating the sound with unpleasantness.

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How We Hear

Sound is a form of energy that causes air to vibrate, creating sound waves. Hearing involves the conversion of sound energy to electrical impulses. Sound waves from the air travel to our ears and are carried down the auditory canal to the ear drum. Vibrations from the eardrum are transmitted to the ossicles of the middle ear. The ossicle bones amplify the sound vibrations as they are passed along to the inner ear. The sound vibrations are sent to the organ of Corti in the cochlea, which containsnerve fibers that extend to form the auditory nerve. As the vibrations reach the cochlea, they cause the fluid inside the cochlea to move. Sensory cells in the cochlea called hair cells move along with the fluid resulting in the production of electro-chemical signals or nerve impulses. The auditory nerve receives the nerve impulses and sends them to the brainstem. From there the impulses are sent to the midbrainand then to the auditory cortex in the temporal lobes. The temporal lobes organize sensory input and process the auditory information so that the impulses are perceived as sound.

10 Most Hated Sounds