ap unit 3 Flashcards
Sensation
Detection and Encoding, the senses collect some kind of information from the environment and convert it to a signal that can travel to the brain (senses depend on each other) 5 SENSES
Transduction
the transformation of electrochemical energy to electrochemical energy of neural impulses (except smell)
Perception
Interpretation, process by which we select, organize, and interpret sensory information in order to recognize meaningful objects and events
Bottom Up Processing
Sensory Analysis, involves starting with an incoming stimulus and working upwards until a representation of the object is formed in our minds
Top Down Processing
form our perceptions starting with a larger object, concept, or idea before working our way toward more detailed information (big picture, small details)
Absolute Threshold
smallest level of stimulus that can be detected, usually defined as at least half the time (the point something becomes noticeable)
Signal Detection Theory
theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of faint stimulus amid background noise
Difference Threshold
Just Noticeable Difference, the amount of something must be changed in order for a difference to be noticeable or detectable at least half the time
Weber’s Law
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount) bigger need larger differences to be noticed
Sensory Adaptation
reduction in sensitivity to a stimulus after constant exposure to it (helps free up our attention to other stimuli around us)
Selective Attention
we center our attention on certain important elements of our environment while other things blend into the background or pass us by completely unnoticed
Inattentional Blindness
when our focus is directed at one stimulus that is relevant to us, leaving us blind to other stimuli (focus on more on important things than every single detail)
Change Blindness
the tendency people have to miss changes in their immediate visual environment changes in their immediate visual environment (people can miss minor and major changes in front of them)
Cornea
transparent, dome-like structure on the front part of the eye, gives the eye focusing or refracting power
Pupil
the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters, controls the amount of light that enters into the eye
Iris
a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of pupil opening
Lens
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina, focus eye on near or far objects
Retina
light sensitive layer that lines the back of the eye, contains photoreceptors that absorb light and transmit signals
Photoreceptors
convert light energy to electrochemical neural impulses that are conducted to our brain (rods and cones)
Sclera
the white part of the eye that protects it from other objects
Optic Nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain (cross to opposite side of brain, once inside the brain, visual information is sent via a number of structures to the occipital lobe for processing)
Rods
specialized photoreceptors that work well in low light conditions, involved in our vision in dim light places and perception of movement on the periphery of visual field
Cones
light detecting cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well lit conditions, directly involved in our ability to perceive color
Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory
there are three receptors in the retina responsible for the perception of color (green, red and blue) combined to create all colors of light
Color Defficient Vision
they simply lack functioning red or green sensitive cones or sometimes both, missing cones that respond to a specific color (monochromatic, dichromatic) hard to distinguish red and green
Opponent-Process Theory
retinal processes only occur in three sets of opponents, red with green complex, blue with yellow complex, and black with white complex (only able to detect one color at a time since they oppose each other)
Feature Detectors
in the visual cortex, specialized neurons that react to the strength of visual stimuli, responding to shapes, angles, edges, lines and movement in field of vision
Parallel Processing
the ability of the brain to do many things at once, for visual processing, color, motion, shape, and depth are processed simultaneously
Audition
the biological process by which our ears process sound waves (used evolutionary for hearing predators, increase survival)
Sound Waves
vibrations of molecules that travel through the air, mechanical vibration of molecules from sound source
Amplitude
height of the sound wave (greater compression), the psychological quality of loudness, measured by decibels