Chapter 3: Sensation and Perception Flashcards
Our senses adapt to different stimuli and become less sensitive to the stimulus over a period of time or by repeating occurrences of a stimulus.
Sensory Adaptation
is the stimulation of sensory receptors and passing of sensory information that comes from sensory organs (eye, nose, mouth, ears, skin) to the brain and our brain interprets that information and responds to it.
Sensation
The process of becoming more sensitive to Stimulation; Positive adaptation
Sensitization
The process of becoming less sensitive to stimulation; Negative adaptation
Desensitization
2 types of sensory threshold
Absolute Threshold and Difference Threshold
it is the minimum requirement that is necessary to produce sensation.
Absolute Threshold
the minimum requirement to tell that the two similar objects have different intensity.
Difference Threshold
things that we weren’t able to perceive due to the subject weren’t able to show its details fully.
Subliminal Stimulation
the view that the perception of sensory stimuli involves the interaction of physical, biological, and psychological factors
Signal–detection Theory
The intensity of a subject affects the person’s interest or focus on the subject.
Signal Detection Theory
specialized brain cells that react to the certain details of a subject’s (object or a person) movement, size, length, their surface texture, etc.
Feature Detectors
is the recognition and understanding of the information that our sensory organs receive and send out to the brain. Our brain processes and interprets that information and uses it to be able to interact with our surroundings
Perception
Our dominant sense
Vision
helps visualize our surroundings. It is a small portion of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Visible Light
2 types of receptors
Rods and Cones
photoreceptors that are sensitive only to the intensity of the light
Rods
photoreceptors that transmits sensation of color
Cones
a muscular membrane whose dilation regulates the amount of light that enters the eye
Iris
the black-looking opening in the center of the iris, through which light enters the eye lens a transparent body behind the iris that focuses an image on the retina
Pupil
rod-shaped photoreceptors that are sensitive only to the intensity of light
Rods
the area of the inner surface of the eye that contains rods and cones photoreceptors cells that respond to light
Retina
neurons that conduct neural impulses from rods and cones to ganglion cells
Bipolar cells
neurons whose axons form the optic nerve
Ganglion cells
the nerve that transmits sensory information from the eye to the brain
Optic nerve
an area near the center of the retina that is dense with cones and where vision is consequently most acute
Fovea
the area of the retina where axons from ganglion cells meet to form the optic nerve visual acuity sharpness of vision
Blind spot
ability to distinguish visual stimuli on the basis of the wavelengths of light they emit or reflect.
Color Vision
Theories of Color Vision
Trichromatic Theory and Opponent-Process Theory
3 types of color blindness
Trichromatism, Monochromatism, and Dichromat
color vision is made possible by three types of cones; respond to red light, some to green, and some to blue.
Trichromatic Theory
color vision is made possible by three types of cones; respond to red or green light, some to blue or yellow, and some to the intensity of light
Opponent-Process Theory
partial color blindness in which only two colors are perceptible
Dichromatism
color vision based on the perception of three primary colors and especially red, green, and blue
Trichromatism
complete color blindness in which all colors appear as shades of gray
Monochromatism
enable us to recognize the characteristics of objects
Perceptual Organization
visual perception of movement is based on change of position relative to other objects
Perception of Motion
monocular and binocular cues help us perceive the depth of objects
Depth Perception
a condition characterized by brittleness of the lens
Presbyopia
the process of adjusting to conditions of lower lighting by increasing the sensitivity of rods and cones
Dark Adaptation
descriptive of colors of the spectrum that when combined produce white or nearly white light
Complementary
the lingering visual impression made by a stimulus that has been removed
Afterimage
the tendency to perceive a broken figure as being complete or whole
Closure
the tendency to integrate perceptual elements into meaningful patterns
Perceptual organization
the perceptual tendency to group together objects that are near one another
Proximity nearness
the perceptual tendency to group together objects that are similar in appearance
Similarity
the tendency to perceive a series of points or lines as having unity
Continuity
the tendency to perceive elements that move together as belonging together
Common fate
the organization of the parts of a pattern to recognize, or form an image of, the pattern they compose
Bottom-up Processing
sensations that give rise to misperceptions
Illusions
generated by a series of stationary images that are presented in rapid succession
Stroboscopic motion
stimuli suggestive of depth that can be perceived with only one eye
Monocular cues
a monocular cue for depth based on the convergence (coming together) of parallel lines as they recede into the distance
Perspective
a monocular cue for depth based on the perception that closer objects appear to have rougher (more detailed) surfaces
Texture gradient
a monocular cue for depth based on the perception that nearby objects appear to move more rapidly in relation to our own motion
Motion parallax
stimuli suggestive of depth that involve simultaneous perception by both eyes
Binocular cues
a binocular cue for depth based on the difference in the image cast by an object on the retinas of the eyes as the object moves closer or farther away
Retinal disparity
a binocular cue for depth based on the inward movement of the eyes as they attempt to focus on an object that is drawing nearer
Convergence
the tendency to perceive an object as being the same size even as the size of its retinal image changes according to the object’s distance
Size constancy
the tendency to perceive an object as being the same color even though lighting conditions change its appearance
Color constancy
the tendency to perceive an object as being just as bright even though lighting conditions change its intensity
Brightness constancy
the tendency to perceive an object as being the same shape although the retinal image varies in shape as it rotates
Shape constancy
vibration of molecules in air or water
Auditory Stimulation
2 psychological dimensions of sound
Pitch and Loudness
Captures sound waves
Ears
Parts of the ear
Outer ear, Middle Ear, and Inner Ear
3 processes of pitch perception
Place theory, Frequency theory, and Valley Principles
pitch of a sound is determined by the section of the basilar membrane that vibrates in response to the sound
Place theory
sound is reflected in the frequency of neural impulses
Frequency theory
impairment that hinders perception of hearing
Deafness
a unit expressing the frequency of sound waves. One hertz equals one cycle per second
Hertz (Hz)
a unit expressing the loudness of a sound
Decibels (dB)
a unit expressing the loudness of a sound
decibels (dB)
