What theory explains how nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve correspond to the frequency of a tone, enabling pitch perception?

Frequency Theory is the correct choice because it directly relates to how we perceive pitch through the frequency of nerve impulses traveling along the auditory nerve. According to this theory, the frequency of the sound wave corresponds to the rate at which auditory nerve fibers fire. For example, a higher frequency sound wave will cause the nerve fibers to fire more rapidly, which the brain interprets as a higher pitch. This mechanism allows our auditory system to translate the properties of sound waves into the perception of pitch.

Gate Control Theory is not relevant here; it deals with pain perception and how certain neurological pathways can be blocked or facilitated in the spinal cord.

Place Theory, while important in discussions of pitch perception, posits that different frequencies stimulate specific places along the cochlea, leading to pitch perception based on location rather than the rate of nerve impulses.

Signal Detection Theory focuses on the processes of perception, such as the ability to distinguish between signal and noise in various conditions, but does not specifically address how pitch is determined through nerve impulses.

Thus, the emphasis on the relationship between the frequency of the sound and the rate of neural firing makes Frequency Theory the most appropriate explanation for pitch perception in this context.