Chapter 3

Question 1

Perceptual constancy

Answer 1

We tend to perceive things different than the way that we actually see them
ex: size- we know an object remains the same even if it is far away because we perceive and don’t rely on what is shown in the retna

Question 2

Gestalt Psychology

Answer 2

• The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

- We get bits and pieces of an image in our retna, but we perceive the picture as a whole.

Question 3

Figure-ground relationship

Answer 3

Natural tendency to make something of the picture and something of the background

Question 4

Critical period

Answer 4

A period when you are maximally sensitive to environmental/visual stimuli.

Question 5

Blind spot

Answer 5

Spot where there are no sensory receptors. The brain fills that emptiness

Question 6

Monocular Cues

Answer 6

• Liner perspective
• Relative Size
• Overlap
• Aerial perspective
• Texture gradient
• Motion parallax

Question 7

Motion parallax

Answer 7

• Riding in a vehicle, and as you are moving you can see how close or far you are from something
  ex: Lines on the road are blurry and while driving bc you are so close…..A fence is clear and moves slow bc it is far

Question 8

Linear perspective

Answer 8

Two parallel lines converging in the distance

ex: train tracks

Question 9

Relative size

Answer 9

You know the size of an object no matter how close or far they are, even if they look smaller or larger

Question 10

Overlap

Answer 10

Images overlapping other images, giving a sense of which is closer and which is further

Question 11

Aerial perspective

Answer 11

Looking through the atmosphere (air) and things start to get hazy

Question 12

Texture gradient

Answer 12

• Texture is shown better when objects are closer

- More difficult to see texture when objects are far away

Question 13

Sensation

Answer 13

Occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated, allowing various forms of outside stimuli to become neutral signals in the brain

Question 14

Transduction

Answer 14

The process of converting outside stimuli into neutral activity

Question 15

Difference threshold

Answer 15

The smallest difference between 2 stimuli that is detectable 50% of the time
ex: How much more sugar would you need in your regular coffee to taste a difference

Question 16

Absolute threshold

Answer 16

Lowest level of stimulation that a person can consciously detect 50% of the time
ex: The tick of a watch 20 ft away
One drop of perfume diffused throughout three rooms

Question 17

Subliminal perception

Answer 17

• Looking at things unconsciously

- Affects attitude and cognition

Question 18

Sensory habituation

Answer 18

Although you may hear something, you aren’t paying attention to it

• The way brain deals with unchanging info from environment
• The sensory receptors are still responding to stimuli

Question 19

Sensory adaptation

Answer 19

Tendency of sensory receptor cells to become less responsive to a stimulus that is unchanging

Question 20

Selective attention

Answer 20

Tend not to notice changing stimuli in environment

Question 21

Cones

Answer 21

• ability to see fine detail
• located in the center where there are no rods
• color vision
• works best in bright light
• sensitive to different wavelengths of light

Question 22

Rods

Answer 22

• not located in the forvea
• located in the periphery
• sensitive to changes in brightness
• only see in black, white, and shades of gray

Question 23

Muller-Lyer Illusion

Answer 23

• Relative distance
• We perceive distance and the distance alters our perception of line lengths
• Changing perception of distance (angles)

ex: Lines in video

Question 24

Moon Illusion

Answer 24

Relative distance of the moon angles

Question 25

fallacy of positive instances

Answer 25

We only find the positive things to make us believe that superstitions (telepathy, precognition, psychic, etc.) are real. We never find anything negative