CHAPTER 3 Flashcards
Sensation
The process of detecting a physical stimulus, such as light, sound, heat, or pressure
Perception
The process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensations
Sensory Receptors
Specialized cells unique to each sense organ that respond to a particular form of sensory stimulation
Transduction
The process by which a form of physical energy is converted into a coded neural signal that can be processed by the nervous system
Absolute Threshold
The smallest possible strength of a stimulus that can be detected half the time
Difference Threshold
The smallest possible difference between two stimuli that can be detected half the time; a.k.a just noticeable difference
Weber’s Law
A principle of sensation that holds that the size of the just noticeable difference will vary depending on its relation to strength of the original stimulus
Sensory Adaptation
The decline in sensitivity to a constant stimulus; also has to do with duration of exposure
Wavelength
The distance from one wave peak to another
Pupil
The opening in the middle of the iris that changes size to let in different amounts of light
Lens
A transparent structure, located behind the pupil, that actively focuses, or bends light as it enters the eye
Accommodation
The process by which the lens changes shape to focus incoming light so that it falls on the retina
Retina
A thin, light-sensitive membrane, located at the back of the eye which contains the sensory receptors for vision
Rods
The long, thin, blunt sensory receptors of the eye that are highly sensitive to light, but not to color, and that are primarily responsible for peripheral vision and night vision
Cones
The short, thick, pointed sensory receptors of the eye that detect color and are responsible for color vision and visual activity
Fovea
A small area in the center of the retina composed entirely of cones, where visual information is most sharply focused
Blind Spot
The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, producing a small gap in the field of vision
Optic Nerve
The thick nerve that exits from the back of the eye and carries visual information to the visual cortex in the brain
Optic Chiasm
The point in the brain where the optic nerve fibers from each eye meet and partly cross over to the opposite side of the brain
Color
The perceptual experience of different wavelengths of light, involving hue, saturation (purity), and brightness (intensity)
Trichromatic Theory of Color Vision
Theory that the sensation of colors results because cones are especially sensitive to red light ( long wavelengths), green light (Medium wavelengths), or blue light (short wavelengths)
Color Blindness
One of several inherited forms of color deficiency or weakness in which an individual cannot distinguish between certain colors
Afterimage
A visual experience that occurs after the original source of stimulation is no longer present
Opponent-process theory of color vision
Theory that color vision is the product of opposing pairs of color receptors: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white; when one member of a pair is stimulated, the other is inhibited
Audition
The technical term for the sense of hearing
Pitch
The relative highness or lowness of a sound, determined by the frequency of a sound wave
Frequency
The rate of vibration, or the number of sound waves per second
Outer Ear
The part of the ear that collects sound waves; consists of the pinna, the ear canal, and the eardrum
Eardrum
A tightly stretched membrane at the end of the ear canal that vibrates when hit by sound waves
Middle ear
The part of the ear that amplifies sound waves; consists of three small bones: the Hammer, the Anvil, and the Stirrup
Inner ear
The part of the ear where sound is transduced into neural impulses; consists of the cochlea and semicircular canals
Cochlea
The coiled, fluid-filled inner-ear structure that contains the basilar membrane and hair cells
Basilar Membrane
The membrane within the cochlea of the ear that contains the hair cells
Hair cells
The hair-like sensory receptors for sound, which are embedded in the basilar membrane of the cochlea
Frequency Theory
The view that the basilar membrane vibrates at the same frequency as the sound wave
Place theory
The view that different frequencies cause larger vibrations at different locations along the basilar membrane
Olfaction
Technical name for the sense of smell
Gustation
Technical name for the sense of taste
Olfactory bulb
The enlarged ending of the olfactory cortex at the front of the brain where the sensation of smell is registered
Pheromones
Chemical signals released by an animal that communicate information and affect the behavior of other animals of the same species
Taste buds
The specialized sensory receptors for taste that are located on the tongue and inside the mouth and throat
Pain
The unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with a crural or potential tissue damage
Nociceptors
Specialized sensory receptors for pain that are found in the skin, muscles, and internal organs
Gate-controlled theory of pain
Theory that physiological and psychological factors cause spinal gates to open and relay to the brain patterns of stimulation that are perceived as pain
Proprioception
The sense of body movement and position
Bottom-up processing
Information processing that emphasizes sensory receptors in detecting the basic features of a stimulus in the process of recognizing a whole pattern; analysis that moves from parts to the whole
Top-down processing
Information processing that emphasizes the observer’s knowledge, expectations, and other cognitive processes in arriving at meaningful perceptions; analysis that moves from the whole to parts
ESP or Extrasensory Perception
Perception of information by some means other than through the normal processes of sensation
Parapsychology
The scientific investigation of claims of paranormal phenomena and abilities
Max Wertheimer
Founder of Gestalt psychology which is a school of psychology that maintained sensations are actively processed according to consistent perceptual rules, producing meaningful whole perceptions, or gestalts (picture of the man made of fruit)
Figure-ground relationship
Gestalt principle stating that a perception is automatically separated into the figure, which is the main element of the scene, and the ground, which is its background
Depth perception
The use of visual cues to perceive the distance of three-dimensional characteristics of objects
Monocular cues
Distance or depth cues that can be processed by either eye alone
Binocular Cues
Distance pr depth cues that require the sue of both eyes
Size Constancy
The perception of an object as maintaining the same size despite changing images on the retina
Color constancy
The perception of a familiar object as being the same color under a different light condition
Müller-Lyer Illusion
A famous visual illusion involving the misperception of the identical lengths of two lines, one with arrows pointed inward, one with arrows pointed outward
Moon Illusion
A visual illusion involving the misperception that the moon is larger when it is on the horizon than when it is directly overhead
Perceptual Set
The tendency to perceive objects or situations from a particular frame of reference
