Chapter 4

Question 1

What is perception?

Answer 1

Process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information into meaningful patterns

Question 2

What is sensation?

Answer 2

–Process of detecting, converting, and transmitting raw sensory information from the external and internal environments to the brain.
–Stimulus – receptors – neural impulse (action potential)

Question 3

Define transduction

Answer 3

Process of converting stimulation received by the receptors into electrochemical energy that can be used by the nervous system

Question 4

What is Coding?

Answer 4

Different physical stimuli are interpreted as distinct sensations because their neural impulses travel by different routes and arrive at different parts of the brain

Question 5

What is sensory reduction?

Answer 5

Filter and analyze sensations sent through before a neural impulse is finally sent to the cortex

Question 6

Define psychophysics?

Answer 6

Studies the link between the physical characteristics of stimuli and the sensory experiences of them

Question 7

What is absolute threshold?

Answer 7

–Minimum amount of a stimulus that an observer can reliably detect
•Ex: A candle flame at 30 miles on a clear, dark night

Question 8

What is differential threshold?

Answer 8

–Minimal difference needed to notice a stimulus change (JND)

•Ex: The amount of spice to add to a food

Question 9

Define subliminal perception

Answer 9

•Stimuli presented below consciousness

Question 10

What is sensory adaption?

Answer 10

Sensory system’s reduced responsiveness to unchanging stimuli

Question 11

What is gate control theory?

Answer 11

•Gate-control theory – theory that pain sensations are processed and altered by mechanisms within the spinal cord
–The experience of pain depends partly on whether the neural message gets past a gate keeper
–Massaging an injury or scratching an itch can relieve discomfort because pressure on neurons interferes with pain signals
–When we are soothed by endorphins or distracted by competition or fear, our experience of pain can be greatly diminished

Question 12

Define vision parts and functions

Answer 12

–A process involving reception of electromagnetic waves by visual receptors
–Cornea pupillensretina
–Retina:  Light-sensitive inner surface of the back of the eye
•Rods – Visual receptor cells
in the retina that detect shades
of gray and peripheral vision
•Cones – Visual receptor cells
in the center responsible for
color vision and fine detail

Question 13

Define trichromatic theory

Answer 13

–Color perception results from three types of cones in the retina, each most sensitive to either red green or blue
–Other colors result from a mixture of these three

Question 14

Define opponent-process theory

Answer 14

–Color perception is based on three systems of color opposites
–Blue-yellow, red-green, and black-white

Question 15

Define function of sense of hearing

Answer 15

–Sound frequency is measured in hertz
–The amplitude of sound is measured in decibels
–Outer EarMiddle EarInner EarCochlea
–Outer Ear: auditory canal and ear drum funnels sound waves
–Middle Ear: Hammer, Anvil, and stirrup, which concentrate drum vibrations
–Inner Ear: Cochlea, semicircular canals
and vestibular sacs generating neural
signals to the brain
–Cochlea: Three chambered, snail shaped
structure in the inner ear containing the
receptors for hearing

Question 16

Define place theory

Answer 16

–Pitch perception is linked to the particular spot on the cochlea’s membrane that is most stimulated

Question 17

Define frequency theory

Answer 17

Pitch perception occurs when nerve impulses sent to the brain match the frequency of the sound wave

Question 18

Define conduction deafness

Answer 18

–Middle ear deafness

–Resulting from problems with transferring sound waves to the inner ear

Question 19

Define nerve deafness

Answer 19

Inner ear deafness resulting from damage to the cochlea, hair cells, or auditory nerve

Question 20

Define traits of sense of smell

Answer 20

–Cilia – receptors 1,000 varieties
•10,000 distinguishable smells
–Pheromones – airborne chemicals that affect behaviors including
   recognition of family
   members, aggression,
   territorial marking, and
   sexual mating

Question 21

Define functions of sense of taste

Answer 21

–Taste buds – taste receptors

–Basic tastes – sweet, sour, metallic, bitter, salty, and fat

Question 22

Define vestibular sense

Answer 22

Provides info about body’s orientation and movement

Question 23

Define •Proprioception & Kinesthetic Sense

Answer 23

Provides info about position of our limbs and other body parts in space/provides info about limb motion

Question 24

Define cutaneous sense

Answer 24

–Provides info about touch, pressure, pain and temp
–Temperature
–Pain

Question 25

What are processes of perception?

Answer 25

•The process of organizing and making sense of stimuli in our environment
•Motives may distort or determine what we perceive
–Motivational influences
–Attention
•Selective attention – filtering out and attending only to important sensory messages
•Feature detectors – specialized neurons that respond only to certain sensory information
•Habituation – brain’s reduced responsiveness to unchanging stimuli

Question 26

What are Gestalt’s 5 Principles of Perceptual Organization

Answer 26

• Figure and Ground
• Proximity
• Similarity
• Good Continuation
• Closure

Question 27

Gestalt’s 5 Principles of Perceptual Organization

Figure and Ground

Answer 27

–Organization of perceptual elements into a figure and a background
–The figure is the focus of our attention
–The ground constitutes the remainder of our perception

Question 28

Gestalt’s 5 Principles of Perceptual Organization

Proximity

Answer 28

–Perceptual elements that are close together are seen as a group

Question 29

Gestalt’s 5 Principles of Perceptual Organization

Similarity

Answer 29

–Perceptual elements that are similar are seen as a group

Question 30

Gestalt’s 5 Principles of Perceptual Organization

Good continuation

Answer 30

–Smooth, flowing lines are more readily perceive than choppy, broken lines

Question 31

Gestalt’s 5 Principles of Perceptual Organization

Closure

Answer 31

–Organizing perceptions into whole objects is

easier than perceiving separate parts independently

Question 32

What are the 7 basic perceptual abilities?

Answer 32

• Pattern Perception –The ability to discriminate among different figures and shapes
• Perceptual Constancies –Tendency to perceive the size and shape of an object as constant even though its retinal image changes
• Shape Constancy
• Size Constancy
• Depth Perception-The ability to perceive three-dimensional space and accurately judge distance
• Binocular Cues–Visual input from two eyes that allows perception of depth or distance
• Monocular Cues–Visual input from a single eye alone that contributes to perception of depth or distance

Question 33

Illusions

Define perceptual hypothesis or perceptual set

Answer 33

–Inference about the nature of stimuli received from the environment
–Readiness to perceive in a particular manner based on expectations

Question 34

Illusions

What are perceptual illusions?

Answer 34

–Misperceptions or interpretations of stimuli that do not correspond to the sensations received.

Question 35

What are 6 examples of paranormal phenomena?

Answer 35

1. Extrasensory Perception (ESP)
2. Parapsychology
3. Clairvoyance
4. Telepathy
5. Precognition
6. Psychokinesis

Question 36

Paranormal Phenomena

Define Parapsychology

Answer 36

•Study of paranormal phenomena, which are considered to be well outside the bounds of established science

Question 37

Paranormal Phenomena

Define Clairvoyance

Answer 37

Ability to see information from objects or events without direct contact with the senses

Question 38

Paranormal Phenomena

Define telepathy

Answer 38

•Ability to perceive the thoughts or emotions of others without the use of recognized senses

Question 39

Paranormal phenomena

What is precognition?

Answer 39

•Knowledge of the future event or circumstance obtained by paranormal means

Question 40

Paranormal Phenomena

What is psychokinesis?

Answer 40

•Telekinesis – power of the mind to influence matter directly