Chapter 3 - Sensation and Perception Flashcards
provides the raw information
Sensation
how we detect physical energy from the environment and encode it as neural signals
Sensation
contracts raw information into our own experiences
Perception
how we select, organize, and interpret this information
Perception
taking in the energy from the environment and turning it into signals that our brains can understand through our 5 senses
“Bottom-Up Processing”
high level brain functions (experiences, motivations, expectations) and interpret what we build from sensation
“Top-Down Processing”
minimum stimulation needed to detect something half the time
- detect a signal 50% of the time (ex., ticking clock)
Absolute Threshold
predicting how and when we detect the presence of a signal amid background noise
Signal Detection Theory
minimum difference a person can detect between two stimuli 50% of the time
- just noticeable difference (JND)
Difference Threshold
principle that 2 stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage in order to be perceived as different
- ex., having 60 candles lit in a room and adding one more candle makes the room more brighter half the time and the other half not (JND)
Weber’s Law
reduced sensitivity resulting from constant stimulation
- benefit: allows us to focus on informative changes in our environment without being distracted by the uninformative constant stimulation
Sensory Adaptation
our ability to select how we want to pay attention
Selective Attention
sensation
Vision
part of the eye that…
- eyes back surface that contains receptor cells that converts light energy into neural impulses sent to the brain
The Retina
part of the eye (retina) that…
- responsible for seeing black, white, and gray
- peripheral and twilight vision
Rods
part of the eye (retina) that…
- responsible for seeing fine detail color
- daylight or well-lit conditions
Cones