Chapter 1 (introduction) Flashcards
What is the role of the human brain in sensory processing?
To process sensory inputs quickly and efficiently, allowing conscious selection among them.
This involves complex neural processes that result in our perception.
What is the difference between sensation and perception?
Sensation is the registering of physical stimuli; perception is the interpretation of that sensory input.
Sensation involves converting stimuli into neural signals, while perception involves understanding those signals.
Why is understanding sensation and perception considered complex?
The human mind and brain are intricate, requiring patience and hard work to comprehend.
This complexity is reflected in the terminology and concepts involved.
What influences our perceptual experience?
Psychological processes such as attention, intention, emotion, and biases.
These factors can shape how we interpret sensory information.
Give an example of how personal biases can influence perception.
Two fans watching the same basketball game perceive the same play differently based on their team loyalties.
This illustrates how subjective experiences can alter perception.
What is the standard classification of senses taught in schools?
Vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.
This classification is historically rooted but overly simplistic.
What additional senses beyond the traditional five are mentioned?
Vestibular system, proprioception, and various touch receptors.
This suggests a broader understanding of human sensory systems.
What is the significance of the vestibular system?
It helps maintain balance and is crucial for spatial orientation.
This system is essential for coordination and movement.
How does the perception of flavor involve multiple senses?
Flavor is a complex interaction of smell, taste, and even vision.
This interaction illustrates how sensory modalities can work together.
What is multisensory processing?
The study of how one sensory system affects the perception of another.
This area of study is gaining importance in understanding sensory integration.
What is the role of cognitive processing in perception?
It aids in interpreting sensory input and understanding the environment.
Cognitive processes help distinguish objects and their contexts.
Fill in the blank: Sensation is about _______ and perception is about _______.
stimuli; interpretation.
This highlights the distinct yet interconnected roles of sensation and perception.
How does cultural knowledge influence perception?
It enhances understanding of sensory input, making perception more meaningful.
Cultural context can shape how we interpret what we see.
What must happen for us to perceive an image, such as a doll?
The image must fall on the retina and the perceptual environment must be parsed.
What does the perceptual process refer to?
The sequence of mental operations from initial sensory input to understanding our conscious experience.
What is veridicality in perception?
The desire for sensory systems to produce a truthful representation of the environment.
What are attended stimuli?
Stimuli that are important or interesting and to which we focus our attention.
Give two examples of sensory experiences.
- Aroma of roasting coffee
- Sight of a glorious sunset
What is transduction?
The process of converting physical stimuli into neural responses.
What specialized cells are responsible for vision?
Rods and cones located on the retina.
What do hair cells in the cochlea transduce?
Sound vibrations into neural responses.
What distinguishes sensation from perception?
Sensation is the transduction process, while perception is the processing of neural signals into usable images or experiences.
What role does action play in perception?
Action includes any motor activity guided by perception, such as moving eyes or turning heads.
What is phenomenology?
Our subjective experience of perception.
Why is phenomenology difficult to study experimentally?
It is a private experience and cannot be empirically measured.
What historical document dates back to approximately 1800 BCE and discusses visual perception?
The Ramesseum medical papyri.
Who first recorded the Aristotle illusion?
Aristotle.
What is the motion aftereffect also known as?
The waterfall illusion.
Fill in the blank: The _______ of perception refers to our internal experience of the world around us.
[phenomenology]
True or False: Phenomenology can be objectively measured and compared across individuals.
False.
What is the main goal of sensation and perception?
To guide us through our environment and facilitate functional action.
What illusion is created after watching the downward motion of a waterfall?
The illusion that stationary objects appear to move upward
This phenomenon occurs due to adaptation of motion detectors in the brain.
Who first developed the acuity test for vision?
Robert Hooke
Hooke was an astronomer who contributed to early theories of perception.
What is the doctrine of specific nerve energies?
The idea that the specific neurons activated determine the type of experience
For example, activation of the optic nerve leads to visual experiences.
Who formulated the trichromatic theory of color vision?
Hermann von Helmholtz
This theory is often referred to as the Young–Helmholtz theory.
What are the three primary colors according to Helmholtz’s theory?
- Red
- Green
- Blue
What is Helmholtz’s view on how our senses work?
Sensory signals are inadequate and require cognitive interpretation
He proposed the concept of unconscious inference to explain this.
Whose theory of color vision was based on color opponency?
Ewald Hering
Hering proposed pairs of color opponents: green-red and blue-yellow.
What is Weber’s law?
A just-noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is related to the magnitude of the stimuli
This means that the ability to detect differences varies with the strength of the stimuli.
Who is considered the founder of psychophysics?
Gustav Fechner
Fechner’s work laid the foundation for the study of the relationship between physical stimuli and perception.
What does Fechner’s law state?
Sensation is a logarithmic function of physical intensity
This implies that our perception of intensity increases at a lower rate than the actual intensity.
What is the Fechner color effect?
An illusion where moving black-and-white figures create the perception of color
Also known as Benham’s top.
What was Helmholtz’s contribution to the understanding of neural impulses?
He determined the speed of the neural impulse (action potential)
This was a significant advancement in both physiology and psychology.
True or False: Hering agreed with Helmholtz’s theory of unconscious inference.
False
Hering believed that stimuli contained sufficient information for direct perception.
What are the implications of Weber’s law for loud sounds?
The JND is greater for very loud noises than for quieter sounds
This means distinguishing between louder sounds is more difficult.
Fill in the blank: The perception of brightness requires the intensity of light to increase _______ to perceive a doubling of brightness.
10-fold
What did Helmholtz believe about sensory experiences?
They require integration of sensory signals with existing knowledge
This perspective supports the cognitive approach to perception.
What was the primary focus of classical Indian philosophy regarding perception?
The nature of illusion and the reliability of perception
This theme is prominent in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
