CH4 - Sensation and Perception Flashcards
What is SENSATION?
The stimulation of the sense organs
What is PERCEPTION?
The selection, organization, and interpretation of that sensory input.
What is TRANSDUCTION?
When sensations are turned into electrochemical transmissions.
What is PSYCHOPHYSICS?
The study of how physical stimuli are translated into psychological experience.
What is a STIMULUS?
Any detectable input from the environment.
What is ABSOLUTE THRESHOLD?
The minimum amount of stimulation that an organism can detect.
What is JND?
Just Noticeable Difference is the minimum level of difference required in order to be detected in a stimulus
What is the SIGNAL-DETECTION THEORY?
Detecting stimuli involves decision and sensory processes.
What is SUBLIMINAL PERCEPTION?
Registering sensory input but being consciously unaware.
What is SENSORY ADAPTION?
A gradual decline in sensitivity due to prolonged stimulation
What are the three major parts of the ear?
- External: Pinna
-Middle ear: Ossicles
-Inner ear: The Cochlea
What is the pathway of sound?
->Sound waves vibrate bones of middle ear
->Hits against oval window of cochlea
->Causes movement of fluid
->Movement of basilar membrane stimulated hair cells
->Physical stimulation turned into neural impulses
What is the PLACE THEORY in relation to hearing?
The ability to perceive pitch corresponds to the vibration of different portions, or places, along the basilar membrane.
What is the FREQUENCY THEORY in relation to hearing?
The perception of pitch corresponds to the rate, or frequency the entire basilar membrane vibrates
What is AUDITORY LOCALIZATION?
Locating the source of a sound in a space.
What are the two major types of deafness?
-Conductive deafness
-Nerve deafness
What is the physical stimuli of smell?
Substances carried in the air called ODOURANTS
What is the pathway of smell?
Olfactory cilia -> neural impulse -> olfactory nerve -> olfactory bulb(brain)
What is the physical stimuli of taste?
Soluble chemical substances
What is the pathway of taste?
taste buds -> neural impulse -> thalamus -> cortex
What is the physical stimuli of skin?
Mechanical, thermal and chemical energy that impact the skin
What is the pathway of sensory systems in the skin?
sensory receptors -> the spinal column -> brainstem -> cross to opposite side of brain -> thalamus -> parietal lobe (somatosensory)
What is the GATE-CONTROL THEORY?
Incoming pain sensations pass through a “gate” in the spinal cord that can be closed to block ascending pain signals
What are ENDORPHINS?
The body’s own painkillers that is widely distributed in the CNS.
What is the KINESTHETIC SYSTEM?
The system monitors the positions of the various parts of the body.
What is the VESTIBULAR SYSTEM?
Responds to gravity and keeps you informed of your body’s location in space.
Critical to keep you orientated and balanced.
Function of the RETINA?
absorbs light, processes images, and sends information to the brain
What is the FOVEA?
A tiny spot int he center of the optic disc containing only cones.
What is the OPTIC DISK?
The optic disk is where the optic nerve leaves the eye/blind spot.
What are the receptor cells of the retina?
-Rods: responsible for black and white/low light vision
-Cones: responsible for colour and daylight vision
What is the BLIND SPOT?
This is where the optic nerve leaves the eye.
What is MYOPIA?
The inability to see distant objects clearly. Also called nearsightedness.
Define REFRACTIVE myopia and AXIAL myopia.
REFRACTIVE MYOPIA is when the cornea or lens bends too much light.
AXIAL MYOPIA is when the eyeball is too long.
What is HYPEROPIA?
The inability to see objects near you clearly. Also called farsightedness.
What is ADDITIVE COLOUR MIXING?
Mixing colours by overlapping lights on top of one another.
What is SUBTRACTIVE COLOUR MIXING?
Removing wavelengths of light, leaving less light than there was.
Define the TRICHROMATIC THEORY
The human eye has three receptors with different sensitivities to different light wavelengths.
Define the OPPONENT-PROCESS THEORY.
Each cone in the human eye is responsive to two wavelengths.
What is the DUAL-PROCESS THEORY?
A combination of the trichromatic theory and opponent-process theory.
What is DEPTH PERCEPTION?
How visual cues are interpreted that indicate how far or near objects are. They can be monocular or binocular.
What are the different types of monocular depth cues?
-Occlusion
-Relative Height
-Relative size
-Perspective convergence
-Familiar Size
-Atmospheric perspective
What is RETINAL DISPARITY?
The right and left eye see slightly different views.
What are the GESTALT PRINCIPLES of form perception?
-Figure ground
-Principle of proximity
-Principle of Similarity
-Principle of Closure
-Principle of good continuation
-Principle of common fate
