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MCAT Behavioral Sciences > Chapter 2: Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Chapter 2: Sensation and Perception Flashcards

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MCAT flashcards
1
Q

What is transduction?

A

Taking the physical, electromagnetic, auditory, and other information from our internal and external environment and converting this information into electrical signals in the nervous system

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2
Q

What’s more like transduction, sensation or perception?

A

Sensation

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3
Q

Which receptors perform sensation and in what form do they deliver stimuli to the CNS?

A

Receptors in the PNS; action potentials and neurotransmitters

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4
Q

What is perception?

A

The processing of information within the CNS in order to make sense of the information’s significance

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5
Q

Sensory receptors are neurons that respond to ________ by triggering ____________ signals that carry information to the ____________ nervous system.

A

Sensory receptors are neurons that respond to stimuli by triggering electrical signals that carry information to the central nervous system.

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6
Q

Physical objects outside of the body are referred to as ____________ stimuli. They produce photons, sound waves, heat, pressure, or other stimuli that directly interact with sensory receptors.

A

Distal

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7
Q

The sensory-stimulating byproducts of distal stimuli are called ________ stimuli.

A

Proximal

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8
Q

What are ganglia?

A

Collections of neuron cell bodies found outside the central nervous system

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9
Q

What are nuclei?

A

Cluster of neurons in the central nervous system

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10
Q

Different types of receptors receive a stimulus, transduce the stimulus into electrical signals, and transmit the data to the CNS through sensory ________.

A

Ganglia

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11
Q

Once transduction from sensory ganglia occurs, the electrochemical energy is sent along neural pathways to various _______________ _______ in the brain.

A

projection areas

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12
Q

What do photoreceptors respond to?

A

Electromagnetic waves in the visible spectrum

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13
Q

What do mechanoreceptors respond to?

A

Pressure or movement

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14
Q

What do nociceptors respond to?

A

Painful or noxious stimuli

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15
Q

What do thermoreceptors respond to?

A

Changes in temperature

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16
Q

What do osmoreceptors respond to?

A

Osmolarity of the blood

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17
Q

What do olfactory receptors respond to?

A

Volatile compounds

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18
Q

What do taste receptors respond to?

A

Dissolved compounds

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19
Q

What is threshold

A

Minimum amount of stimulus that renders a difference in perception

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20
Q

What are the 3 main types of thresholds?

A

Absolute threshold
Threshold of conscious perception
Difference threshold

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21
Q

What is absolute threshold?

A

The minimum of stimulus energy needed to activate a sensory system

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22
Q

Is absolute threshold a threshold of perception or sensation?

A

Sensation

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23
Q

What is the threshold of conscious perception?

A

The level of intensity that a stimulus must pass in order to be consciously perceived by the brain

Sensory systems can send signals without someone perceiving the signals

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24
Q

What is the difference threshold?

A

The minimum change in magnitude required for an observer to perceive that 2 different stimuli are, in fact, different

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25
Q

What is another name for the difference threshold?

A

Just-noticeable difference (jnd)

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26
Q

What is a common technique researchers use to explore the difference threshold?

A

Discrimination testing

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27
Q

What is discrimination testing?

A

Participant is presented with a stimulus. Stimulus is varied. Participant is asked to report whether they perceive a change. It is varied until they do. The interval is the JND

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28
Q

Which is important - absolute difference or percent difference?

A

Percent difference!

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29
Q

How do you compute the just noticeable difference?

A

change in stimulus divided by magnitude of original stimulus

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30
Q

What is Weber’s Law?

A

Difference thresholds are proportional and must be computed as percentages

the change in a stimulus that will be just noticeable is a constant ratio of the original stimulus

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31
Q

What is signal detection theory?

A

Studies how internal and external factors influence thresholds of sensation and perception

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32
Q

What 2 types of trials does a basic signal experiment consist of?

A

Noise trial
Catch trial

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33
Q

What is a noise trial?

A

In a signal detection experiment, a noise trial is a trial in which the signal is presented

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34
Q

What is a catch trial?

A

In a signal detection experiment, a catch trial is a trial in which the signal is not presented

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35
Q

What are the 4 possible outcomes for a trial in a signal detection experiment?

A

Hit
Miss
False alarm
Correct negative

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36
Q

What is a hit in a signal detection experiment?

A

Signal is presented and subject correctly perceives signal

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37
Q

What is a miss in a signal detection experiment?

A

Subject fails to perceive the presented signal

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38
Q

What is a false alarm in a signal detection experiment?

A

Subject indicates perceiving the signal, even though the signal was not presented

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39
Q

What is a correct negative in a signal detection experiment?

A

Subject correctly identifies that no signal was presented

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40
Q

What is sensory adaptation?

A

Our ability to detect a stimulus can change over time

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41
Q

Why is sensory adaptation advantageous?

A

Helps us focus on only the most relevant stimuli, which are usually changes in the environment around us

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42
Q

The exposed portion of the eyes is covered by a thick structural layer known as the ____________, or the white of the eye.

A

Sclera

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43
Q

Which part of the eyes is not covered by the sclera?

A

The cornea, the frontmost part

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44
Q

Which 2 sets of blood vessels supply nutrients to the eyes?

A
  1. Choroidal vessels
  2. Retinal vessels
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45
Q

Where are the choroidal vessels located?

A

Between the retina and sclera

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46
Q

What is the innermost layer of the eye called?

A

Retina

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47
Q

What does the retina contain?

A

Photoreceptors that transduce light into electrical information

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48
Q

Where does light first pass when entering the eye?

A

The cornea

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49
Q

What does the cornea do?

A

Gathers and focuses incoming light

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50
Q

What are the 2 parts that the front of the eye is divided into?

A

The anterior chamber
The posterior chamber

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51
Q

What is the anterior chamber in front of?

A

The iris

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52
Q

What is the posterior chamber between?

A

The iris and the lens

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53
Q

What is the iris?

A

The colored part of the eye

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54
Q

What are the 2 muscles that comprise the iris?

A

dilator pupillae
constrictor pupillae

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55
Q

The dilator pupillae opens the pupil under ____________ stimulation.

A

Sympathetic

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56
Q

The constrictor pupillae opens the pupil under ____________ stimulation.

A

Parasympathetic

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57
Q

The iris is continuous with the ____________.

A

Choroid

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58
Q

What is the choroid?

A

A vascular layer of connective tissue that surrounds and provides nourishment to the retina

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59
Q

The iris is also continuous with the ____________ ________.

A

Ciliary body

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60
Q

What does the ciliary body produce and what is it for?

A

aqueous humor; bathes the front part of the eye

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61
Q

Where does aqueous humor drain into?

A

The canal of Schlemm

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62
Q

Where is the lens located?

A

Right behind the iris

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63
Q

What does the lens do?

A

Controls the refraction of incoming light

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64
Q

Contraction of the ____________ muscle, a component of the ciliary body, is under ____________________ control.

A

ciliary; parasympathetic

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65
Q

As the ciliary muscle contracts, it pulls on the ____________________ ligaments and changes the shape of the lens to focus on an image as the distance varies. This is a phenomen known as ____________________.

A

suspensory; accommodation

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66
Q

The transparent gel that supports the retina is called the? Where is it located?

A

Vitreous humor; behind the lens

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67
Q

Label the eye using the following terms: optic disc area, iris, sclera, retina, optic nerve, cornea, aqueous body, ciliary body, vitreous body, choroid, lens

A
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68
Q

Where is the retina located?

A

Back of the eye

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69
Q

What does the retina do?

A

Converts incoming photons of light to electrical signals

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70
Q

Is the retina part of the CNS or PNS?

A

It is part of the CNS - it is an outgrowth of brain tissue

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71
Q

How many types of photoreceptors does the retina contain and what are they called?

A

2 - rods and cones

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72
Q

Are there more rods and more cones? By how much?

A

6 million cones, 120 million rods - 20 times more rods than cones

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73
Q

What are cones used for? Best in bright light or darkness?

A

Color vision and fine details; bright light

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74
Q

What are the three forms of cones?

A

short (blue)
medium (green)
long (red)

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75
Q

Are rods better in light or dark and why?

A

Reduced light; they are highly sensitive to photons

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76
Q

How many pigment types are in rods and what are they called?

A

Only 1 - rhodopsin

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77
Q

Why does color vision require more light?

A

Each cone only responds to certain wavelengths of right

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78
Q

Which colors can stimulate rods?

A

Any color!

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79
Q

Are rods more or less useful for detecting fine details? Why?

A

Less useful - they are spread over a much larger area of the retina

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80
Q

What is the center of the retina called?

A

Macula

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81
Q

Where is the highest concentration of cones in the retina?

A

Macula, specifically the fovea, which is in the center of the macula

82
Q

As one moves further away from the fovea, the concentration of rods ____________ while the concentration of cones ____________.

A

increases; decreases

83
Q

Choose one

Visual acuity is (best/worst) at the fovea.

A

Best

84
Q

The fovea is (most/least) sensitive in normal daylight vision.

A

Most

85
Q

Some distance away from the retina the ________ nerve leaves the eye. This region of the retina has no ________________ and is called the __________ ______. It gives rise to a _________ _______.

A

optic; photoreceptors; optic disk; blind spot

86
Q

What do rods and cones connect to?

A

They synapse with bipolar cells

87
Q

What do bipolar cells synapse with?

A

Ganglion cells

88
Q

The axons of ganglion cells group together to form the __________ _________.

A

optic nerve

89
Q

Are the bipolar and ganglion cells located in front of or behind the rods and cones?

A

In front of

90
Q

Are there more or less photoreceptor cells than ganglion cells?

A

Significantly more

91
Q

As the number of receptors that converge through the bipolar neurons onto one ganglion cell increases, the resolution ________________.

A

Decreases

92
Q

Choose one

On average, the number of cones converging onto an individual ganglion cell is (smaller/larger) than for rods.

A

smaller

This is why color vision has greater sensitivity to detail than B/W.

93
Q

Which 2 sets of cells receive input from multiple retinal cells in the same area before the information is passed on to ganglion cells?

A

Amacrine and horizontal cells

94
Q

What type of visual information are amacrine and horizontal cells important for?

A

Edge detection

95
Q

Label the diagram of the cells of the retina using the following terms: bipolar cell, rod, horizontal cell, ganglion cell, cone, amacrine cell

A
96
Q

Choose one

If an object is to your left, then photons from that object stimulate the (left/right) of the retina in each eye. From the retina, retinal fibers from each eye then project to the (left/right) side of your brain. This means that visual information from objects to your left is processed by the (left/right) side of your brain.

A

Right; right; right

97
Q

If you look at at an object to your left, the photons strike the retinal fibers of your right eye on the (temporal/nasal side).

A

Temporal

fibers on right side of each eye go to the right.

98
Q

If you look at at an object to your left, the photons strike the retinal fibers of your left eye on the (temporal/nasal side).

A

Nasal

fibers on right side of each eye go to the right.

99
Q

If you look at at an object to your right, the photons strike the retinal fibers of your right eye on the (temporal/nasal side).

A

Nasal

fibers on left side of each eye go to the left

100
Q

If you look at at an object to your right, the photons strike the retinal fibers of your left eye on the (temporal/nasal side).

A

temporal

fibers on left side of each eye go to the left

101
Q

An object to the left of you is in the (temporal/nasal) visual field of your right eye. When the photons from this object enter your right eyes, they stimulate the (temporal/nasal) fibers on the (left/right) side of your right eye.

A

nasal; temporal; right

102
Q

As the retinal fibers from each eye travel through the optic nerves toward the brain, (temporal/nasal) fibers from the left and right eyes cross paths at the __________ ____________.

A

nasal; optic chiasm

103
Q

Only (temporal/nasal) fibers cross at the optic chiasm.

A

Nasal

This is because

104
Q

An object to your left will stimulate the (temporal/nasal) fibers of your left eye, and then these fibers are routed through the optic chiasm to the (left/right) side of your brain.

A

nasal; right

105
Q

After the nasal fibers cross the optic chiasm, the reorganized pathways are called optic _________.

A

tracts

106
Q

An object to your right would be in the (temporal/nasal) field of your left eye. The photons would stimulate the (temporal/nasal) fibers of the left eye. Then these fibers would route directly back to the (left/right) side of the brain.

A

nasal; temporal; left

107
Q

An object to the right is in the (temporal/nasal) field of your right eye and stimulates the (temporal/nasal) fibers of that eye. These nasal fibers are routed through the optic chiasm.

A

temporal; nasal

108
Q

The temporal field of each eye stimulates the (temporal/nasal) fibers of each eye.

A

NASAL

109
Q

From the optic chiasm, the info goes to several different places, such as ?

A
  • Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus
  • Superior colliculi in the midbrain
110
Q

Where is the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) located?

A

Thalamus

111
Q

Nerve fibers that pass to the LGN synapse with nerves that pass through radiations in the ________________ and ________________ lobes to the ____________ cortex in the ________________ lobe.

A

temporal, parietal; visual; occipital

112
Q

Nerve fibers from the optic chiasm can branch off the optic tracts, skip the thalamus, and head directly to the ________________ ________________ in the midbrain, which control some reflexive responses to visual stimuli and reflexive eye movements.

A

Superior colliculi

113
Q

List 4 aspects of vision

What is parallel processing?

A

Ability of the brain to analyze info regarding color, form, motion, and depth simultaneously using independent pathways in the brain

114
Q

What is form?

A

Shape and ability to discriminate an object of interest from the background by detecting its boundaries

115
Q

Neurons carrying info from the fovea and surrounding central portion of the retina synapse with ________________________ cells in the LGN. These cells have very high ____________ ____________ resolution, but low ________________ resolution. Gives us fine detail.

A

parvocellular; color spatial; temporal

116
Q

____________________ cells are well-suited for detecting motion because these have very high ________________ resolution.

A

Magnocellular; temporal

117
Q

Since form and motion are processed in parallel, magnocellular cells and parvocellular cells are located in ____________ layers of the ___________ ___________________ ____________.

A

distinct; lateral geniculate nucleus

118
Q

________________ cells predominantly receive inputs from the periphery of our vision, allowing rapid detection of objects approaching from the sides.

A

Magnocellular

119
Q

Choose between magnocellular and parvocellular

Which cells detect form? Which cells detect motion?

A

Parvocellular, magnocellular

120
Q

What is depth perception?

A

Ability to discriminate 3D shapes of our environment and judge distance within it

121
Q

Specialized cells in the visual cortex known as ____________ neurons are responsible for comparing the inputs to each hemisphere and detecting these differences.

A

binocular

122
Q

___________ ___________ cells detect particular, individual features of an object in the visual field, e.g. the red color of a stop sign. Rather than individually processing each of these features every time, the overall combo of feature detectors become activated in parallel.

A

Feature detector

123
Q

What is vestibular sense?

A

Ability to both detect rotational and linear acceleration to inform sense of balance and spatial orientation

124
Q

What are the 3 parts of the ear?

A

Outer, middle, inner

125
Q

A sound wave first reaches the cartilagionous outside part of the ear, called the ________ or ____________.

A

Pinna; auricle

126
Q

The main function of the pinna is to channel sound waves into the ____________ __________ __________, which directs the sound waves to the _________________ ______________.

A

External auditory canal; tympanic membrane (eardrum)

127
Q

Choose

The membrane vibrates (in/out) phase with the incoming sound waves.

A

In

128
Q

What determines the rate at which the eardrum vibrates?

A

Frequency of the sound wave

High frequency = high rate
Low frequency = slow rate

129
Q

Choose

Louder sounds have a (greater/lesser) intensity, which corresponds to (increased/decreased) amplitude of vibration.

A

greater; increased

130
Q

What divides the outer ear from the middle ear?

A

Tympanic membrane

131
Q

The middle ear houses the 3 smallest bones in the body, called the ____________, which transmit and amplify the vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear.

A

Ossicles

132
Q

The ____________ (hammer) is affixed to the tympanic membrane; it acts on the ________ (anvil), which acts on the ________ (stirrup). The baseplate of the stapes rests on the oval window of the ____________, which is the entrance to the inner ear.

A

malleus, incus, stapes; cochlea

133
Q

The middle ear is connected to the nasal activity via the ____________ tube, which helps equalize pressure between the middle ear and the environment.

A

Eustachian

134
Q

The inner ear sits within a ______ ______________, which is a hollow region of the temporal bone containing the cochlea, vestbule, and semicircular canals.

A

Bony labyrinth

135
Q

In side the bony labyrinth is a continuous collection of tubes and chambers called the ________________ labyrinth, which contains receptors for the sense of equilibrium and hearing.

A

Membranous

136
Q

The membranous labyrinth is filled with a potassium-rich fluid called ____________, and is suspended within the bony labyrinth by a thin layer of another fluid called ____________.

A

endolymph; perilymph

137
Q

What does perilymph do?

A

Transmits vibrations from the outside world and cushions the inner ear structures

138
Q

What spiral-shaped organ contains the receptors for hearing?

A

Cochlea

139
Q

What are the 3 parts of the cochlea collectively called?

A

Scalae

140
Q

The middle scala houses the actual hearing apparatus, called the ________ of ________, which rests on a thin, flexible membrane called the ____________ membrane.

A

organ of Corti; basilar

141
Q

What does the organ of Corti have thousands of? What are they bathed in?

A

hair cells; endolymph

142
Q

What membrane is on top of the organ of Corti? What does it do?

A

tectorial membrane; amplifies incoming sound

143
Q

The other 2 scala (besides the middle) are filled with ________________, surround the hearing apparatus, and are continuous with the ________ and ________ windows of the __________.

A

perilymph; oval and round; cochlea

144
Q

Sound entering the cochlea through the oval window causes vibrations in ________________, which are transmitted to the ________________ membrane.

A

perilymph; basilar

145
Q

Since fluids are incompressible, the ________ window (a membrane-covered hole in the cochlea) permits the perilymph to move within the cochlea. The hair cells in the organ of Corti then transduce the physical stimulus into an electrical signal to be carried to the CNS by the ________________ nerve.

A

round; vestibulocochlear

146
Q

Which portion of the bony labyrinth contains the utricle and saccule?

A

Vestibule

147
Q

What are the utricle and saccule sensitive to? What does this do for us?

A

Linear acceleration; determine orientation in space and for balance

148
Q

The utricle and saccule have modified hair cells covered with ________. What do these cells do?

A

Otoliths; resist motion as body accelerates, which bends and stimulates the underlying hair cells to send a signal to the brain

149
Q

What in the ears are sensitive to rotational acceleration?

A

Semicircular canals

150
Q

Each semicircular canal ends in a swelling called an ________, where hair cells are located.

A

ampulla

151
Q

When the head rotates, ________________ in the semicircular canal resists this motion, bending the underlying hair cells, which send a signal to the brain.

A

endolymph

152
Q

Most sound information passes through the vestibulocochlear nerve to the brainstem, where it ascends to the ________ geniculate nucleus of the thalamus.

A

Medial

Medial = Music
Lateral = Light

153
Q

Nerve fibers in the medial geniculate nucleus project to the ________ cortex in the temporal lobe for sound processing.

A

Auditory

154
Q

Some information in the MGN of the thalamus is also sent to the __________ __________, to localize the sound, and the ________ ________, which is invovled in the startle reflex and helps eyes stay fixed when the head is turned.

A

superior olive; inferior colliculus

155
Q

Hair cells have long tufts of ?

A

Stereocilia

156
Q

The swaying of stereocilia causes the opening of ____ ____________, which cause a receptor potential.

A

ion channels

157
Q

The basilar membrane changes thickness depending on its location in the cochlea. What effect does this have on sound perception? What is place theory?

A

The location of a hair cell on the basilar membrane determine the perception of pitch when that hair cell is vibrated

158
Q

Highest-frequency pitches cause vibrations of the basilar membrane (close/far) to the oval window.

A

close

159
Q

The cochlea is ________________ organized: which hair cells are vibrating gives the brain an indication of the pitch.

A

tonotopically

160
Q

Where are olfactory chemoreceptors located?

A

Olfactory epithelium in the upper part of the nasal cavity

161
Q

Smell can carry interpersonal info through the medium of ________.

A

Pheromones

162
Q

Odor molecules are inhaled into the nasal passages and then contact the olfactory nerves in the olfactory epithelium. These receptor cells are activated, sending signals to the ________________ ________. These signals are then relayed via the ________________ ________ to higher regions of the brain.

A

olfactory bulb; olfactory tract

163
Q

Tastes are detected by ________________, which are sensitive to dissolved compounds.

A

Chemoreceptors

164
Q

The receptors for taste are groups of cells called ________ ____, which are found in little bumps on the gonue called ________.

A

taste buds; papillae

165
Q

Taste info travels from taste buds to the brainstem, then ascends to the ________ ________ in the thalamus before traveling to higher-order brain regions.

A

taste center

166
Q

What are the 4 modalities of somatosensation?

A

pressure, vibration, pain, temperature

167
Q

What do Pascinian corpuscles respond to?

A

deep pressure and vibration

168
Q

What do Meissner corpuscles respond to?

A

light touch

169
Q

What do Merkel cells (discs) respond to?

A

Deep pressure and texture

170
Q

What do Ruffini endings respond to?

A

Stretch

171
Q

What do free nerve endings respond to?

A

pain and temperature

172
Q

Transduction of touch occurs in the receptors, which send the signal to the CNS, where it eventually travels to the ______________________ __________ in the parietal lobe.

A

Somatosensory cortex

173
Q

What is a two-point threshold?

A

Minimum distance necessary between 2 points of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as 2 distinct stimuli

174
Q

The size of the two-point threshold depends on the ________ of nerves in the particular area of skin.

A

density

175
Q

Pain perception commonly results from signals sent by ____________.

A

Nociceptors

176
Q

Temperature is judged relative to _____________ _____, or the normal temp of the skin (between 86 to 97 F).

A

physiological zero

177
Q

What is the gate theory of pain?

A

A special “gating” mechanism can turn pain signals on/off, affecting whether or not we perceive pain. Spinal cord can preferentially forward the signals from other touch modalities (pressure/temp) to the brain, thus reducing the sensation of pain.

178
Q

What is proprioception?

A

Ability to tell where one’s body is in space

179
Q

Where are the receptors for proprioception found and what roles do the play?

A

Mostly in muscle and joints
Play critical roles in hand-eye coordination, balance, and mobility

180
Q

What is bottom-up processing?

A

Parallel processing and feature detection

allows us to quickly recognize without having to analyze

181
Q

What is top-down processing?

A

Driven by memories and expectations that allow the brain to recognize the whole object and then recognize the components based on these expectations

182
Q

What is perceptual organization?

A

The ability to create a complete picture or idea by combining top-down and bottom-up processing with all of the other sensory clues gathered from an object

183
Q

What are monocular cues?

A

Only require 1 eye; aid in depth perception

184
Q

What are 4 examples of monocular cues?
(MILR)

A

Motion parallax
Interposition
Linear perspective
Relative size

185
Q

What is relative size?

A

The idea that objects appear larger the closer they are

Monocular cue

186
Q

What is interposition?

A

When 2 objects overlap, one in front is closer

Monocular cue

187
Q

What is linear perspective?

A

Convergence of parallel lines at a distance: the greater the convergence, the further the distance

Monocular cue

188
Q

What is motion parallax?

A

The perception that objects closer to us seem to movefaster when we change our field of vision

Monocular cue

189
Q

What are binocular cues?

A

Require both retinas and relies on slight difference in images projected on the 2 retinas

190
Q

What are 2 examples of binocular cues?

A

Retinal disparity
Convergence

191
Q

What is retinal disparity?

A

Slight difference in images; gives depth perception

Binocular cue

192
Q

What is convergence?

A

Brain detects the angle between the 2 eyes required to bring an object into focus

193
Q

What is constancy?

A

Our ability to perceive that certain characteristics of objects remain the same, despite changes in the environment

194
Q

What are Gestalt principles?

A

A set of general rules that account for the fact that the brain tends to view incomplete stimuli in organized, patterned ways

195
Q

What are 5 examples of Gestalt principles?

A

Proximity
Similarity
Good continuation
Subjective contours
Closure

196
Q

What is the law of proximity?

A

Elements close to one another tend to be perceived as a unit

What

197
Q

What is the law of similarity?

A

Objects that are similar tend to be grouped together

Gestalt principle

198
Q

What is the law of good continuation?

A

Elements that appear to follow in the same pathway tend to be grouped together

Gestalt principle

199
Q

What are subjective contours?

A

Perceiving contours/shapes that are not actually present in the stimulus

Gestalt principle

200
Q

What is the law of closure?

A

When a space is enclosed by a contour, the space tends to be perceived as a complete figure

Gestalt principle

201
Q

Taken together, the Gestalt principles are governed by the _____ ___ __________, which says that perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as possible.

A

law of Prägnanz

MCAT Behavioral Sciences (12 decks)

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