2B : Sensation Flashcards
Bottom up processing
Analysis that begins from the sense receptors and goes up to the brains integration of sensory information.
Sensation
The process by which we take physical energy from our environment and converted to neural signals. The relationship between physical stimulus of a psychological effect.
Perception
The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events. Process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information.
Top down processing
The process of perception: goes to the brain and then back to our senses, “filling in the gaps”.
Psychophysics
The study of the relationship between physical energy and psychological experience.
Detection thresholds
The act of detecting a stimulus
Absolute threshold
The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time: varies with their psychological state
Signal detection theory
A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus. Biased and mood affect this as feelings heighten our reaction.
Four possible outcomes of a sense test
- Hit: Signal is present and participant senses it
- Miss: Signal is present the participant does not detect it
- false alarm: Signal is absent the participant detects they saw it
- correct rejection: one signal is absent and participant didn’t sense it
Subliminal
Below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness. Our mind can still process it if we cannot see or hear it.
Discrimination threshold
The level of telling the difference between two stimuli or one as it changes
Difference threshold
The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experience the difference threshold and as a just noticeable difference also called JND
Webbers law
Made by Ernst Weber stating that change has to be proportional to the original intensity of the stimulus for us to notice.
Sensory adaptation
Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation. Also known as getting used to something. One won’t be able to notice important differences and allows one to ignore unimportant sounds or signals
Receptor cells
Special cells designed to detect a specific type of energy
Transduction
Conversion of one form of energy into another. Also known as sensory signals that are turned into neural impulses
Contralateral shift
Opposite sides process. happens at thalamus; to all senses except smell
Electromagnetic radiation
It kind of radiation including visible light, radio waves, gamma rays, and x-rays, in which electric and magnetic field very simultaneously.
Wavelength
The distance from the peak of one light or soundwave to the peak of the next. This allows us to see different hues or colors.
Hue
The dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light.
Intensity
The amount of energy in a light or soundwave which we perceive as brightness or loudness.
Cornea
The protective layer of the eye
Iris
A colored ring of muscle tissue that controls the size of the pupil opening
Lens
The transparent structure behind the people that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
Accommodation
The process by which the eyes lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
Acuity
The sharpness of vision
Nearsightedness
A condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because distant objects focus in front of the retina
Farsightedness
A condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly the near objects because the image of near objects is focused behind the retina.
Distal stimulus
Objects and events out in the world about you. How an object appears in the real world.
Proximal stimulus
The patterns of stimuli from these objects and events that actually read your senses. The thing that reaches your senses