Chapter 4 - Sensation and Perception Flashcards
condition in which perceptual or cognitive activities trigger exceptional experiences
synesthesia
stimulation sense organs
sensation
selection, organization and interpretation of sensory inpu
pereception
study of how physical stimuli are translated into psychological experience
psychophysics
dividing point b/t energy levels that do and do not have a detectable effect
threshold
specific type of sensory input is the minimum amount of stimulation that an organism can detect
absolute threshold
the size of a just noticeable difference is a constant proportion of the size of the initial stimulus
Weber’s Law
detection of stimuli involves decision processes as well as sensory processes, which are both influenced by a variety of factors besides stimulus intensity
signal-detection theory
registration of sensory input without conscious awarness
subliminal perception
gradual decline in sensitivity due to prolonged stimulation
sensory adaptation
transparent eye structure that focuses the light rays falling on the retina
lens
neural tissue lining the inside back surface of the eye; absorbs light, processes images and sends visual info to the brain
retina
specialized visual receptors that play a key role in daylight vision and colour vision
cones
tiny spot in the centre of the retina that contains only cones; visual acuity is greatest at this spot
fovea
specialized visual receptors that play a key role in night vision and peripheral vision
rods
the process in which the eyes become more sensitive to light in low illumination
dark adaptation
the process whereby the eyes become less sensitive to light in high illumination
light adaptation
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
optic chiasm
neurons respond selectively to very specific features of more complex stimuli
feature detectors
an inability to recognize objectcs
visual agnosia
an inability to recognize familiar faces
prosopagnosia
the human eye has 3 types of receptors with differing sensitivities to diff light wavelengths
trichromatic theory
colour perception depends on receptors that make antagonistic responses to 3 pairs of colours
opponent process theory
a readiness to perceive a stimulus in a particular way
perceptual set
process of detecting specific elements in visual input and assembling them into a more complex form
feature analysis
progression from individual elements to the whole
bottom up processing
progression from the whole to the elements
top-down processing
illusion of movement created by presenting visual stimuli in rapid succession
phi phenomenon
inference about which distal stimuli could be responsible for proximal stimuli sensed
perceptual hypothesis
clues about distance based on the differing views of the 2 eyes
binocular depth cues
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
retinal disparity
clues about distance based on the image in either eye alone
monocular depth cues
involves images of objects at diff distances moving across the retina at diff rates
motion parallax
clues about distance that can be given in a flat picture
pictorial depth cues
tendency to experience a stable perception in the face of continually changing sensory input
perceptual constancy
runs the length of the spiralled cochlea, holds auditory receptors
basilar membrane
perception of pitch corresponds to the vibration of different portions along the basilar membrane
place theory
perception of pitch corresponds to the rate at which the entire basilar membrane vibrates
frequency theory
four primary tastes
sweet, sour, bitter, salty
incoming pain sensations must pass through a “gate” in the spinal cord that can be closed, thus blocking ascending pain signals
gate-control theory
responds to gravity and keeps you informed of your body’s location in space
vestibular system
monitors the positions of various parts of your body
kinesthetic system
