ch 4 visual perception Flashcards
absolute threshold
the minimum level of energy required for a stimulus outside our body to be detected by our internal senses
cones
the photoreceptors providing clear vision in colour; they work in bright light
depth perception
the ability to accurately judge three-dimensional space and distance, using cues in the environment
feature detectors
cells in the optic nerve that individually respond to lines of a certain length, angle, or direction and break up an image for visual perception
interpretation
stimulus is given meaning in the brain based on our past experiences, motives, values and context
light energy
the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum
optic nerve
the two tracts of neurons that transmit visual information from the eyes to the occipital lobes of the brain
organisation
sensory information reaches the brain and is reorganised so we can make sense of it
perception
the process whereby the brain organises and interprets sensory information
photoreceptors
a layer of specialised nerve cells that detect visual stimuli; they make up the retina located at the back of the eye and covert visual light energy into electrochemical energy
reception
stimulus energy is collected by the sense organ
receptive field
a particular region of the visual space
retinal ganglion cell
a type of neuron that is located near the surface of the retina
rods
the photoreceptors providing peripheral vision in black and white; they work in dim light
selection
the process of selecting the important sensory information on which to focus attention from the millions of stimuli we recieve
