2.1 sensation and perception

Question 1

sensation

Answer 1

the transduction/conversion of physical, electromagnetic, auditory, and other information from our internal and external environment to electrical signals in the nervous system; performed by receptors in the PNS

Question 2

perception

Answer 2

processing of information to make sense of its significance

Question 3

sensory receptors

Answer 3

neurons that response to stimuli and trigger electrical signals

Question 4

distal stimuli

Answer 4

stimuli that originate outside of the body; the source of stimuli that reach our receptors; ex. A campire is a distal stimulus

Question 5

proximal stimuli

Answer 5

stimuli that directly interact with and affect the sensory receptors; inform the observer of the presence of distal stimuli; ex. photons and heat

Question 6

psychophysics

Answer 6

the field that studies the relationship between the physical nature of stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they evoke

Question 7

ganglia

Answer 7

collections of neuron cell bodies found outside the CNS; connect information from receptors and deliver it to the CNS?

Question 8

projection areas

Answer 8

a portion of the cerebral cortex that analyzes sensory input

Question 9

threshold

Answer 9

the minimum amount of a stimulus that renders a difference in perception

Question 10

absolute threshold

Answer 10

the minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate the sensory system; a stimulus below this threshold will not be transduced and never reach the CNS

Question 11

threshold of conscious perception

Answer 11

a stimulus arrives at the CNS but does not reach the higher-order brain regions that control attention and consciousness

Question 12

limina

Answer 12

another word for thresholds

Question 13

subliminal perception

Answer 13

often refers to the perception of a stimulus below a given threshold; usually referse to the threshold of CONSCIOUS perception

Question 14

psychophysical discrimination testing

Answer 14

a participant is presented with a stimulus that is varied slightly and asked to identify if there was a difference; the difference is increased until the participant notices the change

Question 15

difference threshold (JND)

Answer 15

the minimum difference in magnitude between two stimuli before one can perceie this difference

Question 16

Weber’s Law

Answer 16

there is a constant ratio between the change in stumulus magnitude needed to produce a JND and the magnitude of the original stimulus; for higher magnitude stimuli, the difference must be larger to produe a JND

Question 17

signal detection theory

Answer 17

the changes in our perception of the same stimuli depending on both internal and external context

Question 18

response bias

Answer 18

the tendency of subjects to systematically respond to a stimulus in a particular way due to nonsensory factors

Question 19

signal detection experiment

Answer 19

each trial, a stimulus/signal may or may not be presented; that participany indicates whether or not they believe a signal was given

Question 20

signal detection experiment: catch trials

Answer 20

a trial where a stimulus is presented

Question 21

signal detection experiment: noise trials

Answer 21

a trial where a stimulus is not presented

Question 22

signal detection experiment: hit

Answer 22

person says there was a signal when there WAS one

Question 23

signal detection experiment: miss

Answer 23

person fails to indicate a signal when there WAS one

Question 24

signal detection experiment: false alarm

Answer 24

person says there was a signal when the WASN’T one

Question 25

signal detection experiment: correct negative

Answer 25

person doesn’t indicate a signal when there was no signal

Question 26

adaptation

Answer 26

a decrease in stimulus perception after being exposed to it for a long time; a way that that mind attempts to focus on the most relevent stimuli, which are usually CHANGES in the environment