Behavioral Science Chapter 2- Sensation and Perception Flashcards
1
Q
Performed by receptors in the PNS and moved to CNS, the process of taking physical, electromagnetic, auditory, and other information from our internal and external environment and converting this information into electrical signals in the nervous system.
A
Sensation (similar to Transduction)
2
Q
The actual processing of information within the CNS in order to make sense of the information’s significance.
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Perception
3
Q
Neurons that respond to stimuli by triggering electrical signals that carry information to the CNS.
A
Sensory Receptors
4
Q
Physical Objects outside of the body. These objects often produce photons, sound waves, heat, pressure, or other stimuli that directly interact with sensory receptors.
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Distal Stimuli
5
Q
Sensory-stimulating byproducts. Directly interact with and affect the sensory receptors, and thereby inform the observer about the presence of a distal stimulus.
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Proximal Stimuli
6
Q
The field of study dedicated to the relationship between the physical nature of stimuli and the sensations and perceptions these stimuli evoke.
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Psychophysics
7
Q
Collections of neuron cell bodies found outside the CNS.
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Ganglia
8
Q
Areas in the brain that further analyze sensory input after transduction.
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Projection Areas
9
Q
The minimum amount of a stimulus that renders a difference in perception.
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Threshold
10
Q
The minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate a sensory system.
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Absolute Threshold
11
Q
The level of intensity that a stimulus must pass in order to be conciously perceived by the brain.
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Threshold of Conscious Perception
12
Q
Information that is received by the CNS but does not cross the threshold of conscious perception.
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Subliminal Perception
13
Q
The minimum change in magnitude required for an observer to perceive that two different stimuli are, in fact, different.
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Difference Threshold (just-noticeable-difference, jnd)
14
Q
One common experimental technique researchers use to explore the difference threshold.
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Discrimination Testing
15
Q
The observation that difference thresholds are proportional and must be computed as percentages.
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Weber’s Law
16
Q
The study of how internal (psychological) and external (environmental) factors influence thresholds of sensation and perception.
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Signal Detection Theory
17
Q
A part of Basic Signal Detection trials, these are the trails in which the signal is presented.
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Noise Trials
18
Q
A part of Basic Signal Detection trials, these are the trials in which the signal is not presented.
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Catch Trials
19
Q
A part of Basic Signal Detection trials, a trial in which the signal is presented and the subject correctly perceives the signal.
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Hit
20
Q
A part of Basic Signal Detection trials, a trial in which the subject fails to perceive the presented signal.
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Miss
21
Q
A part of Basic Signal Detection trials, a trial in which the subject indicates that he or she perceives the signal, even though the signal was not presented.
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False Alarm
22
Q
A part of Basic Signal Detection trials, a trial in which the subject correctly identifies that no signal was presented.
A
Correct Negative
23
Q
The ability to detect a stimulus can change over time through:
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Adaptation
24
Q
A thick structural layer covering the exposed portion of the eye. Also known as the white of the eye.
A
Sclera
25
Supply the eye with nutrients.
Choroidal and retinal vessels
26
The innermost layer of the eye which contains the actual photoreceptors that transduce light into electrical information the brain can process.
Retina
27
A sensory receptor that responds to electromagnetic waves in the visible spectrum (sight).
Photoreceptors
28
A sensory receptor that responds to pressure or movement.
Mechanoreceptors
29
A sensory receptor that responds to painful or noxious stimuli (somatosensation).
Nociceptors
30
A sensory receptor that responds to changes in temperature (thermosensation).
Thermoreceptors
31
A sensory receptor that responds to the osmolarity of the blood (water homeostasis).
Osmoreceptors
32
A sensory receptor that responds to volatile compounds (smell).
Olfactory Receptors
33
A sensory receptor that responds to dissolved compounds (taste).
Taste Receptors
34
A clear, domelike window in the front of the eye, which gathers and focuses the incoming light.
Cornea
35
The colored part of the eye
Iris
36
A muscle of the iris which opens the pupil under sympathetic stimulation.
Dilator Pupillae
37
A muscle of the iris which constricts the pupil under parasympathetic stimulation.
Constrictor Pupillae
38
A vascular layer of connective tissue that surrounds and provides nourishment to the retina.
Choroid
39
A structure that produces the aqueous humor that bathes the front part of the eye before draining.
Ciliary Body
40
The place where aqueous humor from the eye drains into.
Canal of Schlemn
41
A structure that lies right behind the iris and helps control the refraction of the incoming light.
Lens
42
A component of the ciliary body, under parasympathetic control, that when it contracts, pulls on the suspensory ligaments.
Ciliary Muscle
43
The phenomenon of the lens changing shape to focus on an image as the distance varies.
Accomodation
44
A transparent gel that supports the retina from behind the lens.
Vitreous Humor
45
States that the retina contains two kinds of photoreceptors: those specialized for light-and-dark detection and those specialized for color detection.
Duplicity Theory of Visions (Duplexity)
46
A component of the retina numbering approximately 6 million. Used for color vision and to see fine details. most effective in bright light.
Cones
47
A component of the retina numbering approximately 120 million. More functional in reduced illumination and contains highly sensitive photons.
Rods
48
The single pigment type contained by all rods.
Rhodopsin
49
The central section of the retina. Has a high concentration of cones.
Macula
50
The center-most region of the macula that contains only cones.
Fovea
51
Some distance away from the center of the retina, the optic nerve leaves the eye. This region is devoid of photoreceptors and is called the optic disk. This gives rise to:
A Blind Spot
52
Cells that highlight gradients between adjacent rods or cones.
Bipolar cells
53
The axons of which group together to form the optic nerve. Located in front of the rods and cones, closer to the front of the eye.
Ganglion Cells
54
One of the Cranial Nerves that is formed by the grouping of ganglion cells.
Optic Nerve
55
Two types of cells that receive input from multiple retinal cells in the same area before being passed on to ganglion cells. Can accentuate slight differences between the visual information in each bipolar cell.
Amacrine and Horizontal Cells
56
Refers to both the anatomical connections between the eyes and brain and to the flow of visual information along these connections.
Visual Pathways
57
As the retinal fibers from each eye travel through the optic nerves toward the brain, nasal fibers from the left and right eyes cross paths HERE.
Optic Chiasm
58
After leaving the optic chiasm, the reorganized pathways of nasal fibers are called:
Optic Tracts
59
From the optic chiasm, some nerve fibers pass to this structure, located in the thalamus. Once here, they synapse with nerves that then pass through radiations in the temporal and parietal lobes to the visual cortex in the occipital lobe.
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN)
60
The brain's ability to analyze information regarding color, form, motion, and depth simultaneously using independent pathways in the brain.
Visual Parallel Processing
61
Refers not only to the shape of an object but also to our ability to discriminate an object of interest from the background by detecting its boundaries.
Form
62
Neurons carrying information from the fovea and surrounding central portion of the retinal synapse with cells called:
Parvocellular Cells
63
The term used when cells permit us to detect very fine detail when thoroughly examining an object.
Spatial Resolution
64
The term used when cells detect the motion of objects.
Temporal Resolution
65
Cells that are well-suited for detecting motion because they have a very high temporal resolution.
Magnocellular Cells
66
Our ability to discriminate the three-dimensional shape of our environment and judge the distance of objects within it.
Depth Perception
67
Specialized cells in the visual cortex responsible for comparing the inputs to each hemisphere and detecting differences.
Binocular Neurons
68
Specialized cells in the visual cortex. Each type detects a very particular, individual feature of an object in the visual field.
Feature Detectors
69
Our ability to both detect rotational and linear acceleration and to use this information to inform our sense of balance and spatial orientation.
Vestibular Sense
70
The cartilaginous outside part of the ear that sound waves first reach. Its main function is to channel sound waves to the external auditory canal.
Pinna or Auricle
71
Ear structure that directs sound waves to the eardrum.
External Auditory Canal
72
A membrane in the inner ear that vibrates in phase with the incoming sound waves.
Tympanic Membrane (eardrum)
73
Corresponds to an increased or decreased amplitude of vibration.
Intensity
74
Three of the smallest bones in the body located in the middle ear. They help to transmit and amplify the vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear.
Ossicles
75
The outermost ossicle that is fixed to the eardrum directly.
Malleus (hammer)
76
The middle ossicle that acts directly on the stapes.
Incus (anvil)
77
The innermost ossicle that rests on the oval window of the cochlea.
Stapes (stirrup)
78
A structure that connects the middle ear to the nasal cavity. Helps equalize pressure between the middle ear and the environment.
Eustachian Tube
79
A hollow region of the temporal bone containing the cochlea, vestibule, and semicircular canals.
Bony Labyrinth
80
Located inside the bony labyrinth, a collection of tubes and chambers that contain receptors for the sense of equilibrium and hearing.
Membranous Labyrinth
81
A potassium-rich fluid that fills the membranous labyrinth.
Endolymph
82
A thin layer of fluid that suspends the membranous labyrinth within the bony labyrinth while simultaneously transmitting vibrations from the outside world and cushions the inner ear structures.
Perilymph
83
A spiral-shaped organ that contains the receptors for hearing.
Cochlea
84
Three divisions of the cochlea that run its entire length.
Scalae
85
Housed by the middle scala, the actual hearing apparatus. Composed of thousands of hair cells that are bathed in endolymph.
Organ of Corti
86
A thin, flexible membrane on which the Organ of Corti rests.
Basilar Membrane
87
A relatively immobile membrane that sits ontop of the organ of Corti.
Tectorial Membrane
88
A membrane-covered hole in the cochlea that permits the perilymph to actually move within the cochlea.
Round Window
89
The hair cells in the organ of Corti transduce the physical stimulus into an electrical signal, which is carried to the central nervous system by:
The Auditory (vestibulocochlear) Nerve
90
Refers to the portion of the bony labyrinth that contains the utricle and saccule.
The Vesibule
91
These structures are sensitive to linear acceleration, so are used as part of the balancing apparatus and to determine one's orientation in three-dimensional space.
Utricle and Saccule
92
Modified hair cells contained within the utricle and saccule. As the body accelerates, these cells will resist that motion. This bends ad stimulates the underlying hair cells, which send a signal to the brain.
Otoliths
93
Three canals that are sensitive to rotational acceleration. Arranged perpendicularly to each other.
Semicircular Canals
94
A swelling at the end of each semicircular canal where hair cells are located.
Ampulla
95
Most sound information passes through the vestibulocochlear nerve to the brainstem where it ascends to the _______ in the thalamus.
Medial Geniculate Nucleus (MGN)
96
Nerve fibers project to the ______ in the temporal lobe for sound processing.
Auditory Cortex
97
A structure that localizes sound sent from nerve fibers.
Superior Olive
98
A structure involved in the startle reflex and help keep the eyes fixed on a point while the head is turned (vestibulo-ocular reflex).
Inferior Colliculus
99
Cells named for the long tufts of stereocilia on their top surface.
Hair Cells
100
The accepted theory on sound perception which states that the location of a hair cell on the basilar membrane determines the perception of pitch when that hair cell is vibrated.
Place Theory
101
Cells responsive to different frequencies are found in different places at each level of the central auditory system.
Tonotopic Organization
102
Receptors located in the olfactory epithelium in the upper part of the nasal cavity. Signals for smell.
Olfactory Chemoreceptors (olfactoy nerves)
103
Chemicals secreted by one animal which, once bonded with chemoreceptors, compel or urge another animal to behave in a specific way.
Pheromones
104
The defined pathway to the brain for the sense of smell.
Olfactory Pathway
105
Odor molecules activate receptor cells, sending signals to the:
Olfactory Bulb
106
Signals from the olfactory bulb are relayed via ______ to higher regions of the brain, including the limbic system.
Olfactory Tract
107
Special nerve cells or receptors that sense changes in the chemical composition of the blood.
Chemoreceptors
108
The group of chemoreceptors resiposible for taste.
Taste Buds
109
Little bumps on the tongue on which you can find taste buds.
Papillae
110
Taste information travels to the brainstem, and then acends to the ______ in the thalamus before traveling to higher-order brain regions.
Taste Center
111
Oftern reduced to the sense of "touch". Has four modalities: pressure, vibration, pain, and temperature.
Somatosensation
112
One type of receptor that receives tactile information. Responds to deep pressure and vibration.
Pacinian Corpuscles
113
One type of receptor that receives tactile information. Responds to light touch.
Messner Corpuscles
114
One type of receptor that receives tactile information. Responds to deep pressure and texture.
Merkel Cells (discs)
115
One type of receptor that receives tactile information. Responds to stretch.
Ruffini Endings
116
One type of receptor that receives tactile information. Responds to pain and temperature.
Free Nerve Endings
117
For somatosensation, transduction occurs in the receptors, which send the signal to the CNS where it eventually travels to the ______ in the parietal lobe.
Somatosensory Cortex
118
Refers to the minimum distance necessary between two points of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli.
Two-Point Threshold
119
The normal temperature of the skin (between 86 ad 97 degrees F) is judged relative to temperature.
Physiological Zero
120
Pain perception is part of the somatosensory system and can results from signals sent from a variety of sensory receptors, most commonly:
Nociceptors
121
A theory that proposes that a special "gating" mechanism can turn pain signals on or off affecting whether or not we perceive pain.
The Gate Theory of Pain
122
Refers to the ability to tell where one's body is in space.
Kinesthetic Sense (proprioception)
123
The receptors for proprioception found mostly in muscles and joints, and play a critical role in hand-eye coordination, balance, and mobility.
Proprioceptors
124
Refers to object recognition by parallel processing and feature detection. The brain takes the individual sensory stimuli and combines them together to create a cohesive image before determining what the object is.
Bottom-up (data-driven) Processing
125
Is driven by memories and expectations that allow the brain to recognize the whole object and then recognize the components based on these expectations. Allows us to quickly recognize objects without needing to analyze specific parts.
Top-Down (conceptually-driven) Processing
126
Refers to the ability to create a complete picture or idea by combining top-down and bottom-up processing with all of the other sensory slues gathered from an object.
Perceptual Organization
127
Visual cues that only require one eye and include relative size, interposition, linear perspective, motion parallax, and other minor cues.
Monocular Cues
128
Refers to the idea that objects appear larger the closer they are.
Relative Size
129
Means that when two objects overlap, the one in front is closer.
Interposition
130
Refers to the convergence of parallel lines at a distance: the greater the convergence, the further the distance.
Linear Perspective
131
The perception that objects closer to us seem to move faster when we change our field of vision (look at something else).
Motion Parallax
132
Visual cues that primarily involve retinal disparity.
Binocular Cues
133
Refers to the slight difference in images projected on the two retinas.
Retinal Disparity
134
A type of binocular cue in which the brain detects the angle between the two eyes required to bring an object into focus.
Convergence
135
Refers to our ability to perceive that certain characteristics of objects remain the same, despite changes in the environment.
Contancy
136
A set of general rules that account for the fact that the brain tends to view incomplete stimuli in organized, patterned ways.
Gestalt Principles
137
Says that elements close to one another tend to be perceived as a unit.
Law of Proximity
138
Says that objects that are similar tend to be grouped together.
Law of Similarity
139
Says that elements that appear to follow in the same pathway tend to be grouped together.
Law of Good Continuation
140
Says that when a space is enclosed by a contour, the space tends to be perceived as a complete figure.
Law of Closure
141
Says that perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as possible.
Law of Prägnanz
