Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Chemistry > AP Psych - Chapter 6: Sensation + Perception > Flashcards

AP Psych - Chapter 6: Sensation + Perception Flashcards

1
Q

Sensation

A

coming in; detecting physical energy (a stimulus) from the environment and converting it into neural signals.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Perception

A

going out; when we select, organize, and interpret our sensations.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Bottom-Up Processing

A

analysis of the stimulus begins with the sense receptors and works up to the level of the brain and mind (no thought; gut instinct).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Top-Down Processing

A

information processing guided by higher-level mental processes as we construct perceptions, drawing on our experience and expectations.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Transduction

A

conversion of one form of energy into another.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Psychophysics

A

the study of the effects of drugs on mind and behavior.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Signal Detection Theory

A

predicts how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background noise (other stimulation). Assumes that there is no single absolute threshold and detection depends on experience, expectations, motivation, and fatigue.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Absolute Threshold

A

minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Subliminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Priming

A

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Difference Threshold

A

minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time, also called just noticeable difference (JND).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Weber’s Law

A

the difference/amount you need to notice a difference.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Sensory Adaptation

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Perceptual Set

A

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Wavelength

A

the distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of the next.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Hue

A

the dimension of color determined by the wavelength of the light.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Intensity

A

amount of energy in a wave determined by the amplitude. Related to perceived brightness.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Pupil

A

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Iris

A

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Lens

A

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Accommodation

A

(1) in developmental psychology, adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information. (2) in sensation and perception, the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Retina

A

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.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Rods

A

retinal receptor that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Cones

A

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Optic Nerve
carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.
24
Blind Spot
point where the optic nerve leaves the eyes because there are no receptor cells located here. This creates a blind spot.
25
Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory
based on behavioral experiments, Helmholtz suggested that the retina should contain three receptors that are sensitive to red, blue, and green colors.
25
Fovea
central point in the retina around which the eyes' cones cluster.
26
Opponent-Process Theory
Hering proposed that we process four primary colors combined in pairs of red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white.
27
Feature Detectors
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement.
28
Parallel Processing
processing of several aspects of the stimulus simultaneously. The brain divides a visual scene into subdivisions such as color, depth, form, and movement.
29
Gestalt
an organized whole.
30
Figure-Ground
the organization of the visual field into objects (the figues) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground).
31
Grouping
the perpetual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups.
32
Depth Perception
enables us to judge distances.
33
Visual Cliff
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals.
33
Binocular Cues
depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes.
34
Monocular Cues
depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone.
35
Retinal Disparity
images from the two eyes differ.
36
Phi Phenomenon
when lights flash at a certain speed they tend to present illusions of motion.
37
Perceptual Constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent color, brightness, shape, + size) even as illumination and retinal images change.
38
Color Constancy
the color of an object remains the same under different illuminations. When context changes the color of an object may look different.
39
Perceptual Adaption
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field.
40
Audition
the sense or act of hearing.
41
Frequency
the dimension of frequency determined by the wavelength of sound.
42
Pitch
a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency.
43
Middle Ear
the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window.
44
Cochlea
coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear that transforms sound vibrations to auditory signals.
45
Inner Ear
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.
46
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerve, also called nerve deafness.
47
Conduction Hearing Loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.
48
Cochlear Implant
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea.
49
Place Theory
in hearing, the theory that links pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated.
50
Nociceptors
sensory receptors that enable the perception of pain in response to potentially harmful stimuli.
50
Frequency Theory
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling is to sense its pitch (temporal theory).
51
Gate-Control Theory
Melzack and Wall (1965, 1983) proposed that our spinal cord contains neurological "gates" that either block pain or allow it to be sensed.
52
Hypnosis
a social interaction in which one person (the hypnosis) suggests to another (the subject) that certain perceptions, feeling, thoughts, or behaviors will spontaneously occur. Discovered by Franz Mesmer.
53
Dissociation
a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others.
54
Posthypnotic Suggestion
suggestion carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized.
54
Kinesthesia
the sense of our body parts' position and movement.
55
Vestibular Sense
monitors the head (and body's) position.
56
Sensory Interaction
the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste.
57
Embodied Cognition
in psychological science, the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments.
58
Extrasensory Perception
the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, & precognition.
59
Parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis.

Chemistry (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions