ch4 vocab* Flashcards
Lens
the transparent eye structure that focuses the light rays falling on the retina
Pupil
the opening in the center of the iris that helps regulate the amount of light
Retina
neural tissue lining the inside back surface of the eye
Cones
specialized visual receptors that play a key role in daylight vision and color vision
Fovea
the retina’s area of central focus
Rods
visual receptors that play a key role in night vision and peripheral vision
Iris
a colored muscle that adjusts light intake
Opponent processing theory
color perception depends on receptors that make antagonistic responses to three pairs of colors
Feature detectors
neurons that respond selectively to very specific features of more complex stimuli
Trichromatic theory
human eye has 3 types of receptors with differing sensitivities to different light wavelengths
Perceptual set
a readiness to perceive a stimulus in a particular way
Inattentional blindness
failure to see fully visible objects in a visual display because one’s attention is focused elsewhere
Bottom-up processing
sensory analysis that starts at the entry level
Binocular depth cues
clues about distance based on the differing views of the two eyes
Phi phenomenon
the illusion of movement created by presenting visual stimuli in rapid succession
Monocular depth cues
clues about distance based on the image from either eye alone
Depth perception
interpretation of visual cues that indicate how near or far away objects are
Top-down processing
in form perception, a progress from the whole to the elements
Retinal disparity
cue used in depth perception based on the fact that objects within 25 feet project images to slightly different locations on the left and right retinas
Parallel processing
processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously
Visual illusion
an apparently inexplicable discrepancy between the appearance of a visual stimulus and its physical reality
Cochlea
the fluid-filled, coiled tunnel in the inner ear that contains the receptors for hearing
Basilar membrane
runs the length of the cochlea in the inner ear and holds the auditory receptors, called hair cells
Place theory
perception of pitch corresponds to the vibration of different portions along the basilar membrane
Audition
the sensor or act of hearing
Middle ear
transmits the eardrum’s vibrations through a piston made of three tiny bones to the cochlea
Frequency theory
perception of pitch corresponds to the rate at which the entire basilar membrane vibrates
Perception
the selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input
Signal detection theory
predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation
Sensation
the stimulation of sense organs
Priming
the activation of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response
absolute threshold
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
Weber’s Law
for their difference to be perceptible, two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion (percentage) - not a constant amount
Subliminal
below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness
difference threshold
the minimum difference a person can detect between any two stimuli half the time
Transduction
conversion of one form of energy into another
Cocktail party effect
your ability to attend to only one voice among many
Change blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment
selective attention
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
Blind spot
where the optic nerve leaves the eye there are no receptor cells
Gustatory system
sensory system for taste
Sensory adaptation
a gradual decline in sensitivity to prolonged stimulation
Olfactory system
sensory system for smell
Gestalt
individual elements of the figure come together to form a picture
Gate-control theory
spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain
Vestibular sense
monitors your head’s (and thus your body’s position and movement
Kinesthesis
your sensor of the position and movement of your body parts
Psychophysics
study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
Accommodation
process where the lens focuses the rays by changing its curvature
Perceptual constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging
