Chapter 1 - Foundations Flashcards
Sensation
The initial steps in the perceptual process, whereby physical features of the environment are converted into electrochemical signals that are sent to the brain for processing
Senses
Physiological functions for converting particular environmental features into electrochemical signals
Perception
The later steps in the perceptual process, we’re by the initial sensory signals are used to represent objects in the van so they can be identified, stored in memory, and used in thought and action
Representations
Information in the mind and brain used to identify objects and events, just store them in memory and to support thought and action
Stimuli
Objects and events that are perceived (distal stimuli) and the physical phenomenon they produce (proximal stimuli)
Distal stimulus
Perceived object or event in the world
Proximal stimulus
A physical phenomenon evoked by a distal stimulus that impinges on the specialized cells of a sense
Neurons
Cells of the nervous system that produce and transmit information carrying signals
Neural signals
Information carrying electrochemical signals produced and transmitted by neurons
Sensory receptors
Specialized neurons that convert proximal stimuli into neural signals
Top – down information
And observer’s knowledge, expectations, and goals, which can affect perception
Bottom – up information
The information contained in neural signals from receptors
Transduction
The transformation of a physical stimulus into neural signals (i.e. distal to proximal to neural signals)
Neural code
A pattern of neural signals that carries information about a stimulus and can serve as a representation of that stimulus
Psychophysics
A field of study concerned with relating psychological experiences to physical stimuli
Natural selection
The basic mechanism of a biological evolution, whereby adaptive traits are more likely to be passed on to offspring through genetic inheritance and to become increasingly prevalent in a population
Neuron doctrine
The principle that perception depends on the combined activity of many specialized neurons, each of which responds to a specific aspect of a stimulus
Cell membrane
A cell structure that separates what’s inside the cell from what outside the cell
Cell body
The part of a cell that contains the nucleus us
Dendrites
Projections that emanate from the cell body of a neuron that receives signals from other neurons
Axon
A projection that emanates from the cell body of a neuron and that conducts neural signals to the axon terminal’s, for transmission to other neurons
Axon terminals
Endings of an axon, we’re neural signals are transmitted to other neurons
Nerve
A bundle of axons that travel together from One location in the nervous system to another
Action potential
And electrochemical signals that begins in the dendrites of a neuron and travels down the axon to the axon terminals
Ion
And Adam that has an imbalance in the number of protons and electrons and that therefore have an electric charge
Membrane potential
A difference in electrical potential across the cell membrane, due to a difference in the concentrations of positive and negative ions inside and outside the cell
Resting potential
The membrane potential in a neuron is at rest (about -70 mV)
Single cell recording
A technique used to measure the membrane potential
Ion channels
Small pores in the cell membrane of neurons through which certain ions can flow into or out of the cell
Depolarization
Part of the sequence of events of an action potential, during which an inflow a positively charged ions causes the membrane potential to become markedly more positive
Refractory Period
Following an action potential, a brief period during which a new action potential cannot be initiated
Firing rate
The rate at which a neuron produces action potential’s usually expressed in terms of spikes per second
Baseline firing rate
A neurons low rate of spontaneous firing at fairly random intervals in absence of any stimulus
Synapse
A tiny gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another neuron
Presynaptic membrane
The membrane of the axon terminal of a neuron producing an action potential
Postsynaptic membrane
The membrane of the dendrite or cell body receiving a neural signal
Synaptic vesicles
With an axon terminal’s, tiny sacs that contain neurotransmitter molecules
Neurotransmitters
Chemical substances involved in the transmission of signals between neurons; neurotransmitter molecules released into the synapse by the neuron sending a signal bind to receptors on the neuron receiving the signals
Excitatory neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters that have an excitatory effect on the postsynaptic neuron, increasing the probability that an action potential will be initiated
Inhibitory neurotransmitter’s
Neurotransmitters that happened and have a Tory effect on the postsynaptic neuron, decreasing the probability that an action potential will be initiated
Excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)
The effect of an excitatory neurotransmitter, making the postsynaptic neuron’s membrane potential more positive
Inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)
The effect of an inhibitory neurotransmitter, making a post an optic neuron’s membrane potential more negative
Gyrus
An elongated bump on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres
Sulcus
On the indentation between two gyri on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres
Cognitive neuropsychology
The investigation of perceptual and cognitive deficits and individuals with brain damage in order to discover how perception and cognition are carried out in normal, undamaged brains
Modularity
The idea that the human mind and brain consists of a set of distinct modules, each of which carries out one or more specific function
Dissociation
In cognitive neuropsychology, a pattern of brain damage and impaired function in which damage to some specific brain region is associated with impairment of some specific function but not with impairment of another function
Double dissociation
In cognitive neuropsychology, a pattern of brain damage and impaired function in which damage to some specific brain region is associated with impairment of some specific function A but not with impairment of another function B. Along with a pattern in which damage to a different region is associated with impairment a function B but not with a permit to function A
Assumption of cognitive uniformity
The assumption that the functional organization of human cognition in the brain is essentially the same in everyone
Functional neural imaging
I don’t real techniques for measuring productivity and healthy volunteers carrying out carefully designed tasks
Electroencephalography (EEG)
A functional neural imaging techniques based on measurement of the electrical Field associated with brain activity
Magnetoencephalopathy (MEG)
Functional neural imaging technique based on measurements of the magnetic field associated with brain activity
Positron emission tomography (PET)
Functional neural imaging technique based on measurements of changes in blood flow associated with brain activity, using a radioactive substance introduced into the blood
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI)
A functional neural imaging technique based on measurements of the changes in blood oxygenation associated with brain activity
Absolute threshold
The minimum intensity of a physical stimulus that can just be detected by an observer
Method of adjustment
A behavioural method used in psychophysical experiments; the participant observes a stimulus and adjusts a knob that directly controls the intensity of the stimulus
Method of constant stimuli
A behavioural method used in psychophysical experiments; the participant is presented with a fixed set of stimuli covering a range of intensities is that are presented repeatedly in random order, and the participant must indicate whether or not each stimulus was detected
Psychometric function
Kerf that relates a measure of perceptual experience to the intensity of a physical stimulus
Staircase method
A behavioural method used in psychophysical experiments the participant is presented with a stimulus and indicates whether it was detected, and based on that response, the next stimulus is either one step up or one step down in intensity
Difference threshold or just noticeable difference
The minimum difference between two stimuli that allows an observer to perceive that the two stimuli are different
Weber’s law
A statement of the relationship between the intensity of a standard stimulus and the size of the just noticeable difference
Psychophysical scaling
The process of measuring how changes in stimulus intensity related changes in perceived intensity
Fechner’s law
A statement of how the perceived intensity of the stimulus changes as its physical intensity changes
Signal detection theory
A framework for measuring help people make decisions based on Noisey perceptual evidence, provides a way to measure perceptual sensitivity a part in the decision making style
