4- Sensation and Perception Flashcards
process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
sensation
process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
perception
analysis that begins with sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information
bottom-up processing
information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on experience and expectations
top-down processing
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
selective attention
ability to attend to only one voice among many
cocktail party effect
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
inattentional blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment
change blindness
change deafness, choice blindness, choice-blindness blindness
types of blindness
demand our attention rather than us choosing to turn our attention towards it
popout
study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
psychophysics
minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
absolute threshold
a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise); detection depends on experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness; ratio of “hits” to “false alarms”
signal detection theory
below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness
subliminal
the activation,often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response
priming
interrupts the brain’s processing before conscious perception; follows brief subliminal message
masking stimulus
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time (just noticeable difference (jnd))
difference threshold
the principle, that, to be perceived as different two stimuli must differ by a constant percentage (rather than a constant amount)
Weber’s Law
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
sensory adaptation
conversion of one form of energy into another; stimulus energy into neural impulses
transduction
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next (determines the color we see) (determines the pitch we hear)
wavelength
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light
hue (color)
the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude
intensity
protects the eye and bends light to provide focus
cornea
the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
pupil
a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
iris
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
lens
process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
accommodation
the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
retina
central part of focus on the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster
fovea
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision when cones don’t respond
rods
retinal receptors that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions; detect fine detail and color sensations
cones
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
optic nerve
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there
blind spot
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus
feature detectors
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision
parallel processing
step-by-step processing
serial processing
a localized area of blindness in part of the field of vision
blindsight
objects appear a certain color because they _____ the wavelengths of that color
rejects/reflects
the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors- one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue- which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color
Young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory
staring at one color for a while, then looking at white and you see the opponent color
afterimage
the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, blue-yellow, white-black) enable color vision
opponent-process theory
the sense or act of hearing
audition
determines the loudness of sound waves
strength/amplitude
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
frequency
a tone’s experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
pitch
channels sound waves through the auditory canal to the eardrum
outer ear
tight membrane that vibrates with the waves
eardrum