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Psych 100 > 06. Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

06. Sensation and Perception Flashcards

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1
Q

sensation

A

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

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2
Q

sensory receptors

A

sensory nerve endings that respond to simuli

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3
Q

perception

A

the process by which our brain organizes and interprets sensory information

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4
Q

bottom-up processing

A

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory info

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5
Q

top-down processing

A

info processing guided by higher-level mental processes; we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations

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6
Q

transduction

A

conversion of one form of energy into another (ex. smell in our noses being interpreted by our brains)

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7
Q

psychophysics

A

the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experience of them

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8
Q

absolute threshold

A

minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

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9
Q

signal detection

A

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation

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10
Q

subliminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

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11
Q

difference threshold

A

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time

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12
Q

Weber’s law

A

the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)

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13
Q

sensory adaptation

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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14
Q

perceptual set

A

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

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15
Q

wavelength

A

the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next

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16
Q

hue

A

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light

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17
Q

intensity

A

the amount of energy in a light wave or sound wave and is what we perceive as brightness or loudness (determined by the wave’s amplitude)

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18
Q

retina

A

the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye

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19
Q

accomodation

A

adapting our current schemas to incorporate new information; or the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on teh retina

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20
Q

rods

A

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray, and are sensitive to movement

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21
Q

cones

A

retinal receptors that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or well-lit conditions; detects fine details and color sensations

22
Q

optic nerve

A

the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

23
Q

blind spot

A

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because there are no receptor cells there

24
Q

fovea

A

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster

25
Q

three-colour theory

A

the theory that the retina contains three different types of colour receptors (red, green, blue)

26
Q

opponent-process theory

A

the theory that opposing retinal processes (ex. white-black) enable colour vision

27
Q

feature detectors

A

nerve cells in the brain’s visual cortex that respond to specific features of the stimulus (shape, angle, movement)

28
Q

parallel processing

A

processing many aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously

29
Q

gestalt

A

an organized whole

30
Q

figure-ground

A

the organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings

31
Q

grouping

A

the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

32
Q

perceptual adaptation

A

the ability to adjust to changed sensory input, including an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

33
Q

perceptual constancy

A

perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change

34
Q

audition

A

the sense or act of hearing

35
Q

middle ear

A

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones - hammer, anvil, and stirrup

36
Q

cochlea

A

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses

37
Q

inner ear

A

contains the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs

38
Q

sensorineural hearing loss

A

caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerve (nerve deafness)

39
Q

conduction hearing loss

A

caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

40
Q

cochlear implant

A

device for converting sounds into electrical signals stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea

41
Q

place theory

A

the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated

42
Q

frequency theory

A

the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of the tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

43
Q

gate-control theory

A

the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain

44
Q

hypnosis

A

a social interaction in which one person suggests to another that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviours will spontaneously occur

45
Q

gustation

A

sense of taste

46
Q

olfaction

A

sense of smell

47
Q

kinesthesia

A

our movement sense - our system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

48
Q

vestibular sense

A

our balance sense - our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance

49
Q

sensory interaction

A

the principle that one sense can influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste

50
Q

embodied cognition

A

the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgements

51
Q

extrasensory perception (ESP)

A

the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition

Psych 100 (4 decks)

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