Chapter 4 - Sensation and Perception

Question 1

condition in which perceptual or cognitive activities trigger exceptional experiences

Answer 1

synesthesia

Question 2

stimulation sense organs

Answer 2

sensation

Question 3

selection, organization and interpretation of sensory inpu

Answer 3

pereception

Question 4

study of how physical stimuli are translated into psychological experience

Answer 4

psychophysics

Question 5

dividing point b/t energy levels that do and do not have a detectable effect

Answer 5

threshold

Question 6

specific type of sensory input is the minimum amount of stimulation that an organism can detect

Answer 6

absolute threshold

Question 7

the size of a just noticeable difference is a constant proportion of the size of the initial stimulus

Answer 7

Weber’s Law

Question 8

detection of stimuli involves decision processes as well as sensory processes, which are both influenced by a variety of factors besides stimulus intensity

Answer 8

signal-detection theory

Question 9

registration of sensory input without conscious awarness

Answer 9

subliminal perception

Question 10

gradual decline in sensitivity due to prolonged stimulation

Answer 10

sensory adaptation

Question 11

transparent eye structure that focuses the light rays falling on the retina

Answer 11

lens

Question 12

neural tissue lining the inside back surface of the eye; absorbs light, processes images and sends visual info to the brain

Answer 12

retina

Question 13

specialized visual receptors that play a key role in daylight vision and colour vision

Answer 13

cones

Question 14

tiny spot in the centre of the retina that contains only cones; visual acuity is greatest at this spot

Answer 14

fovea

Question 15

specialized visual receptors that play a key role in night vision and peripheral vision

Answer 15

rods

Question 16

the process in which the eyes become more sensitive to light in low illumination

Answer 16

dark adaptation

Question 17

the process whereby the eyes become less sensitive to light in high illumination

Answer 17

light adaptation

Question 18

point at which the optic nerve from the inside half of each eye cross over and then project to the opposite half of the brain

Answer 18

optic chiasm

Question 19

neurons respond selectively to very specific features of more complex stimuli

Answer 19

feature detectors

Question 20

an inability to recognize objectcs

Answer 20

visual agnosia

Question 21

an inability to recognize familiar faces

Answer 21

prosopagnosia

Question 22

the human eye has 3 types of receptors with differing sensitivities to diff light wavelengths

Answer 22

trichromatic theory

Question 23

colour perception depends on receptors that make antagonistic responses to 3 pairs of colours

Answer 23

opponent process theory

Question 24

a readiness to perceive a stimulus in a particular way

Answer 24

perceptual set

Question 25

process of detecting specific elements in visual input and assembling them into a more complex form

Answer 25

feature analysis

Question 26

progression from individual elements to the whole

Answer 26

bottom up processing

Question 27

progression from the whole to the elements

Answer 27

top-down processing

Question 28

illusion of movement created by presenting visual stimuli in rapid succession

Answer 28

phi phenomenon

Question 29

inference about which distal stimuli could be responsible for proximal stimuli sensed

Answer 29

perceptual hypothesis

Question 30

clues about distance based on the differing views of the 2 eyes

Answer 30

binocular depth cues

Question 31

objects project images to slightly different locations on the right and left retinas, so the right and left eyes see slightly different views of the object

Answer 31

retinal disparity

Question 32

clues about distance based on the image in either eye alone

Answer 32

monocular depth cues

Question 33

involves images of objects at diff distances moving across the retina at diff rates

Answer 33

motion parallax

Question 34

clues about distance that can be given in a flat picture

Answer 34

pictorial depth cues

Question 35

tendency to experience a stable perception in the face of continually changing sensory input

Answer 35

perceptual constancy

Question 36

runs the length of the spiralled cochlea, holds auditory receptors

Answer 36

basilar membrane

Question 37

perception of pitch corresponds to the vibration of different portions along the basilar membrane

Answer 37

place theory

Question 38

perception of pitch corresponds to the rate at which the entire basilar membrane vibrates

Answer 38

frequency theory

Question 39

four primary tastes

Answer 39

sweet, sour, bitter, salty

Question 40

incoming pain sensations must pass through a “gate” in the spinal cord that can be closed, thus blocking ascending pain signals

Answer 40

gate-control theory

Question 41

responds to gravity and keeps you informed of your body’s location in space

Answer 41

vestibular system

Question 42

monitors the positions of various parts of your body

Answer 42

kinesthetic system