Ch. 4 Vocab Flashcards
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
perception
analysis that begins with the 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 our experience and expectations
top-down processing
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
selective attention
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
inattentional blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment
change blindness
conversion of one form of energy into another; the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret
transduction
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
psychophysics
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
absolute threshold
a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise); assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person’s experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness
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
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time
difference threshold
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage
Weber’s law
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
sensory 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
the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis
parapsychology
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next
wavelength
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth
hue
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
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
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
in sensation and perception, the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina; in developmental psychology, adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
accommodation
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond
rods
retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions; detect fine detail and give rise to 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
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster
fovea
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement
feature detectors
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision; contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving
parallel processing
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 Theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision
Opponent-processing theory
an organized whole; psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
gestalt
the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground)
figure-ground
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
grouping
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 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 disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object
retinal disparity
depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone
monocular cues
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
phi phenomenon
perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, brightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change
perceptual constancy
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
color constancy
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
perceptual adaptation
the sense or act of hearing
audition
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second)
frequency
a tone’s experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
pitch
the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three 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; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulse
cochlea
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs
inner ear
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness
sensorineural hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
conduction hearing loss
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
cochlear implant
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
the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain; the “gate” is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain
gate-control theory
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
kinesthesia
the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance
vestibular sense
the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
sensory interaction
in psychological science, the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments
embodied cognition
the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
sensation
