10 / 23 QUIZ Flashcards
Sensation
Process where sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimuli from the environment.
Psychophysics
Study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli (such as their intensity) and our psychological experience of them.
Sensory Receptors
cells that convert sensory stimuli into nerve impulses that are sent to the cns.
Signal Detection Theory
Theory predicts when we will detect a weak stimulus considering a person’s experience, expectations, motivations, and alertness.
Absolute Threshold
The minimum stimulation necessary to detect a stimulus 50% of the time (the point at which we become aware of a sensory stimulus).
Just Noticable Difference (Difference threshold)
The minimum difference a person can detect between any two stimuli half the time.
Weber’s Law
To be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage rather than a constant amount.
Sensory Adaptation
Diminished sensitivity as a result of constant stimulation.
Sensory Interaction
the process by which the five senses work together ti create a complete picture of the environment and help a person respond to stimuli.
Synesthesia
A neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic/involuntary in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.
Embodied Cognition
The brain and body are closely linked in cognitive process
Subliminal
Stimuli below absolute threshold for conscious awareness. May lead to unconscious processing.
Priming
Activation of certain associations, predisposing perception and/or memory (often unconscious).
Transduction
Transforming sensory energy (light, sound waves) to neural impulses.
Perception
Process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.
Bottom-up processing
Starts at the sensory receptors and works up to higher levels of processing.
Top-down processing
Constructs perceptions from the sensory input by drawing on our experience and expectations.
Selective Attention
Focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.
Inattentional blindness
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
Change Blindness
Failing to notice changes in the environment.
retina
light sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information.
blind spot/optic disk
there are no photoreceptors in front of the optic nerve
visual nerve/optic nerve
sends neural impulses from retina to brain.
lens
transparent structure that changes shape (accommodation) to focus images on the retina.
