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
the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing 3 tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window
middle ear
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses
cochlea
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs
inner ear
oval window, basilar membrane, hair cells, auditory nerve
other parts of the ear
damage to hair cells
account for most hearing loss
alerts us to possible hearing damage
ringing of the ears
number of activated hair cells
perceive loudness
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated
place theory
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch
frequency theory
neural cells can alternate firing
volley principle
placement of our two ears allows us to enjoy stereophonic (“three-dimensional”) hearing
locating sounds
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
conduction hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; nerve deafness
sensorineural hearing loss
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
cochlear implant
When someone touches a real hand and a fake hand, the person feels as though the seen fake hand is her own
Rubber-hand illusion
The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
Kinesthesis
The sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance
Vestibular sense
Sensory receptors that detect hurtful temperatures, pressure, or chemicals
Nociceptors
The theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain
Gate-control theory
Natural painkillers
Endorphins
Phantom limb
Phantom limb
Ringing-in-the-ears sensations
Tinnitus
Indicates an energy source
Sweet taste
Indicates sodium essential to physiological processes
Salty taste
Indicates a potentially toxic acid
Sour taste
Indicates a potential poison
Bitter taste
Indicates proteins that help grow and repair tissue; meaty and savory
Unami taste
The principle that one sense may influence another
Sensory interaction
Smell+texture+taste= ?
Flavor
In the picture you were seeing ga, hearing ba, so we perceive da
McGurk effect
One sort of sensation produces another
Synesthesia
Olfaction
Olfaction
The only sense that bypasses the thalamus
Smell
An organized whole; our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
Gestalt
The organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings
Figure-ground
The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli I to coherent groups
Grouping
Group nearby figures together
Grouping by proximity
Group similar figures together
Grouping by similarity
See two lines, one wavy and one straight
Grouping by continuity
See items that are connected as one single unit
Grouping by connectedness
Filling gaps, to create a whole object
Grouping by closure
The ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance
Depth perception
A laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
Visual cliff
Depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of the two eyes
Binocular cues
A binocular cue for perceiving depth: by comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance- the greater the distance between the two images, the closer the object
Retinal disparity
How much our eyes, themselves, need to turn to focus on something; a key to depth perception
Convergence
Depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone
Monocular cues
Our perceiving vertical dimensions as longer than identical horizontal dimensions
Horizontal-vertical
Perceive objects higher in our field of vision as farther away
Relative height
Objects that are the same size we’ll perceive the one that is a smaller image as farther away
Relative size
If one object partially obstructs our view of another, we perceive the blocking image as closer
Interposition
When parallel lines curved come together creating an illusion that they are farther away
Linear perspective
Things in the distance appear to be moving with you
Relative motion
Dark and light; helps perceive depth
Light and shadow
Stroboscopic movement
Stroboscopic movement
An illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights turn on and off in quick succession
Phi phenomenon
When someone touches a real hand and a fake hand, the person feels as though the seen fake hand is her own
Rubber-hand illusion
The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
Kinesthesis
The sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance
Vestibular sense
perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change
Perceptual constancy
Perceiving the form of familiar objects as constant even while our retinal image changes
Shape constancy
Perceiving objects as having a constant size even while our distance from them varies
Size constancy
Perceiving an object as having a constant lightness even while it’s illumination varies
Lightness/brightness constancy
The amount of light an object reflects relative to its surroundings
Relative luminance
Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
Color constancy
Sensory restrictions on infant cats, monkeys, and humans suggest that there is a ________ for normal sensory and perceptual development
Critical period
In vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
Perceptual adaptation
A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
Perceptual set
The controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
Extrasensory perception (ESP)
The study of paranormal phenomena
Parapsychology
Mind-to-mind communication
Telepathy
Perceiving remote events
Clairvoyance
Perceiving future events
Precognition
Mind over matter; being able to levitate a table with one’s mind
Psychokinesis
