Chapter 3

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

stimulation of sensory and the transmission of sensory information to the central nervous system

Question 2

perception

Answer 2

sensations are organized into an inner representation of the world

Question 3

absolute threshold

Answer 3

minimal amount of energy that can produce a sensation

Question 4

subliminal stimulation

Answer 4

sensory stimulation below a persons absolute threshold for conscious perception (something is too fast to perceive)

Question 5

difference threshold

Answer 5

minimum difference in the intensity of two stimuli necessary to detect they are different.

two lights may be illuminated at the same time. The difference threshold is reached when an observer can tell that one is brighter than the other.

Question 6

signal detection theory

Answer 6

perception of sensory stimuli involves the interaction of physical biological or psychological factors

Question 7

feature detectors

Answer 7

neurons in the sensory cortex that fire in response to specific features of sensory information such as lines or edges of objects

Question 8

sensory adaptation

Answer 8

organisms become more sensitive to stimuli that are low in magnitude and less sensitive to stimuli that are constant or ongoing in magnitude

Question 9

visible light

Answer 9

electromagnetic spectrum that stimulates the eye and produces visual sensations

Question 10

cornea

Answer 10

transparent tissue forming the outer surface of the eyeball

Question 11

iris

Answer 11

muscular membrane whose dilation regulates the amount of light entered

Question 12

pupil

Answer 12

center of the iris where light enters the eye

Question 13

lens

Answer 13

transparent body behind iris that focuses an image on the retina

Question 14

retina

Answer 14

area of the inner surface of the eye that contains rods and cones

Question 15

rods and cones

Answer 15

rods: transmit light
cones: transmit color

Question 16

trichromatic theory

Answer 16

color vision is made by 3 types of cones, red-light, green light, and blue light

Question 17

opponent-process theory

Answer 17

color vision 3 types of cones, red-light or green light, some blue or yellow, and some to the intensity of light

Question 18

monochromat

Answer 18

sensitive to black and white only and hence color blind

Question 19

dischromat

Answer 19

sensitive to black - white and either red-green or blue-yellow and hence is partially color blind

Question 20

perceptual organization

Answer 20

tendency to integrate perceptual elements into meaningful patterns

Question 21

monocular cues

Answer 21

stimuli suggestive of depth that can be perceived with only one eye

Question 22

perspective

Answer 22

depth based on the coming together or parallel lines as they recede into distance

Question 23

binocular cues

Answer 23

stimuli suggestive of depth that involves simultaneous perception by both eyes

Question 24

size consistency

Answer 24

tendency to perceive an object as being the same size even as the size of its retinal image changes depending on distance of the object

Question 25

hertz

Answer 25

frequency of sound wave (pitch)

Question 26

decibels

Answer 26

loudness of a sound (volume)

Question 27

cochlea

Answer 27

inner ear, bony tube that contains the basilar membrane

Question 28

basilar membrane

Answer 28

membrane that lies coiled within the cochlea

Question 29

organ of the Corti

Answer 29

receptor for hearing that lies on the basilar membrane in the cochlea

Question 30

auditory nerve

Answer 30

axon bundle that transmits neural impulses from the organ of Corti to the brain

Question 31

place theory

Answer 31

section of the basilar membrane vibrates in response to the sound

Question 32

frequency theory

Answer 32

reflected in the frequency of the neural impulses that are generated in response to the sound

Question 33

olfactory nerve

Answer 33

transmits information concerning odors from olfactory receptors to the brain

Question 34

kinesthesis

Answer 34

sense that informs us about the positions and motions of pats of our bodies