Chapter 4

Question 1

Sensation vs. Perception

Answer 1

S: processing of basic information by senses
P: organizing and interpreting sensory information

Question 2

What is perception influenced by?

Answer 2

Prior experiences

Question 3

Psychophysics & Example

Answer 3

study of physical characteristics of stimuli and how we perceive them
ex) how much we respond to frequencies or volume levels

Question 4

Absolute threshold

Answer 4

an absolute threshold of perception is measured by the minimum amount of stimulation needed to detect a stimulus at least 50% of the time

Question 5

Just-noticeable difference of sensory experience & Example

Answer 5

the minimum change in a stimulus for an observer to detect a difference at least half of the time
ex) assessing an individual to say “that’s louder”

Question 6

Signal detection theory

Answer 6

provides a method to measure absolute thresholds by also measuring biases; measurements are taken when no stimulus is presented to assess the false alarm rate of a participant

Question 7

Weber’s Law

Answer 7

the JND of stimulus is a constant proportion regardless of intensity

Question 8

Adaptation

Answer 8

stop noticing a stimulus that remains constant over time

Question 9

Why do we experience adaptation to specific sounds or sensory experiences? Is this beneficial for mammals?

Answer 9

Due to sensory receptors becoming fatigued; Yes, beneficial because we are not concerned with specific sounds like AC blowing

Question 10

Visible light & Spectrum Range

Answer 10

small portion of electromagnetic spectrum that is visible
Range: 380-700nm

Question 11

Wavelength & what it corresponds to?

Answer 11

distance between any two consecutive crests or troughs of a wave
~color

Question 12

Amplitude & what it corresponds to?

Answer 12

the height of the crests of a wave
~ brightness

Question 13

What eye structure contains photoreceptors?

Answer 13

Retina

Question 14

What are the 2 kinds of photoreceptors?

Answer 14

Rods & Cones

Question 15

Rods support…

Answer 15

nighttime vision
- highly sensitive

Question 16

Cones support…

Answer 16

high-resolution color vision
- see detail

Question 17

Fovea & what it contains?

Answer 17

center back of retina
only cones

Question 18

Photopigments

Answer 18

rods and cones contain photopigments that transduce light into neural impulses

Question 19

Optic nerve

Answer 19

connects the eye to brain; lack of photoreceptors at the point of connection is blind spot

Question 20

Opponent-Process Theory

Answer 20

pair of visual neurons that work in opposition

Question 21

Trichromatic theory

Answer 21

3 cone photopigments work together to produce color perception

Question 22

What theory explains seeing an opposing color after staring?

Answer 22

Opponent-process theory: fatiguing receptors for certain color

Question 23

What theory explains color blindness?

Answer 23

Trichromatic theory: lacking cones or photopigments for seeing or perceiving certain colors

Question 24

Monocular vs Binocular depth cues

Answer 24

M: aspects of a scene that yield information about depth when viewed with only one eye
B: difference in the retinal image of the two eyes providing information about depth

Question 25

Linear perspective

Answer 25

NYC skyline

Question 26

Relative size

Answer 26

Close up person vs. (knee-high) man hiking in the distance

Question 27

Relative motion

Answer 27

distant objects move slower than close up objects

Question 28

Relative height

Answer 28

sheep at far end of the field appear closer to horizon

Question 29

Interposition

Answer 29

one object partially blocked by another -- object behind the other is farther from you

Question 30

Pathway to Occipital cortex

Answer 30

optic nerve -- optic chiasm -- lateral geniculate nucleus in the thalamus -- visual cortex

Question 31

What are feature detectors & where are they?

Answer 31

neurons in the primary visual cortex that respond to basic features represented across the retina (lines, angles, colors, etc) located: primary visual cortex

Question 32

Visual association cortex

Answer 32

regions of the brain where objects are reconstructed from feature detectors and prior knowledge

Question 33

What and Where Pathways in are located?

Answer 33

In Visual Brain

Question 34

What vs. Where Pathway

Answer 34

What: Ventral stream -- can reach and grab objects but do not know what it is Where: Dorsal stream -- can see object but cannot locate it in space

Question 35

Frequency & what it corresponds to

Answer 35

Pitch & colors

Question 36

Amplitude corresponds to

Answer 36

loudness

Question 37

Timbre & example

Answer 37

experience of sound quality or resonance ex) different instruments playing the same note: same frequency

Question 38

What parts make up the ear?

Answer 38

Outer, Middle, Inner

Question 39

Outer ear contains...

Answer 39

Pinna Ear canal

Question 40

Role of Pinna

Answer 40

help gather sound

Question 41

Middle ear contains...

Answer 41

Tympanic membrane Ossicles

Question 42

Inner ear contains...

Answer 42

Cochlea

Question 43

What is the cochlea? What process occurs here?

Answer 43

A fluid filled tube in the inner ear; transduction

Question 44

What is the basilar membrane?

Answer 44

Lines the cochlea with cilia; bending of the cilia triggers neural impulse

Question 45

Explain transduction process in ear

Answer 45

The cochlea is filled with fluid that is moved when ossicles push and pull on the oval window, the movement of fluid causes the basilar membrane to vibrate, the cilia lining the basilar membrane bend which triggers neural impulses

Question 46

Pitch perception is explained by what two theories?

Answer 46

Frequency & Place theory

Question 47

Frequency theory & what pitch it interprets best

Answer 47

the brain uses the frequency of auditory sensory neuron firing to indicate pitch ~Low pitch sounds

Question 48

Place theory & what pitch it interprets best

Answer 48

different pitches arise from stimulation at different places along the basilar membrane ~High pitch sounds

Question 49

How is the primary auditory cortex organized?

Answer 49

By frequency

Question 50

Tonotopic organization & who this relevant for?

Answer 50

the arrangement of the auditory cortex-nearby frequencies is processed near each other in the brain ~animals that rely on hearing to function

Question 51

What is the benefit of having two ears?

Answer 51

Allows for comparisons to localize sound: timing and intensity

Question 52

Conductive hearing loss

Answer 52

damage to a part of the ear before inner ear ~ sound cannot get through due to damage

Question 53

Sensorineural hearing loss

Answer 53

inner ear damage causes transduction difficulty

Question 54

Sense of Smell-Olfaction relates to...

Answer 54

Epithelium, Olfactory bulb, and glomeruli

Question 55

Epithelium

Answer 55

mucous membrane in the nasal cavity that contains the olfactory receptor neurons

Question 56

Olfactory bulb

Answer 56

structure just above the nasal cavity where information is communicated to the primary olfactory cortex

Question 57

Glomeruli

Answer 57

a spherical cluster of neurons in the olfactory bulb

Question 58

Vestibular sense

Answer 58

provides a sense of balance; vestibular sacs connect semicircular canals to the cochlea which all contain fluid, movement of this fluid trigger hair cells to send messages to the cerrebellum

Question 59

Sense of taste

Answer 59

mediated by taste receptor cells which are bundled in clusters called taste buds ~distaste: protect our bodies from toxins or disease

Question 60

Intersensory integration

Answer 60

Our ability to combine sense signals into one unified perceptual experience