Chapter 4 Sensation And Perception Flashcards
What is absolute threshold?
The minimum stimulus that a person can detect
We only perceive half the time
What is Weber’s law?
The more intense the stimulus the more change needed to notice the difference
What is the signal detection theory?
Predicts how we detect a stimulus amid other stimuli
Assumes no absolute threshold
We detect stuff based on our experiences, motivations and fatigue levels
Signal detection theory:
Present + present
Hit
Signal detection theory:
Present +absent
Miss
Signal detection theory:
Absent + absent
Correct rejection
Signal detection theory:
Absent + present
False alarm
What is subliminal stimulation?
Fall just below absolute threshold (50% of the time) for conscious awareness
What is subliminal perception?
Below absolute threshold
What do the rods of the retina pick up?
Brightness
What do cones in the retina pick up?
Color
What is intensity?
Amplitude which is how bright the color is
What does wavelength determine?
Determines the hue
What is hue?
Color
What is the trichromatic theory?
Three types of cones:
Red
Green
Blue
What is the opponent-process theory of color vision?
Sensory receptors corn in pairs
If one color is stimulated, the other is inhibited
What is the place pitch theory?
Only some hairs vibrate in the cochlea when there are different pitches
What is the frequency pitch theory?
All hairs vibrate at once but at different rates
What does the amplitude part of hearing change?
Loudness
What does the frequency of sound waves deal with?
Pitch
What is top-down processing?
We perceive by filling the gaps in what we sense
Based on our experience and schema
What is bottom-up processing?
Feature analysis
We use the features on the object itself to build a perception
I.e. A puzzle
What is the figure ground relationship?
Our first perceptual decision is what our attention is initially drawn to, determining the figure and the background
What are subjective contours?
The mind forms shapes that don’t exist
What is Gestalt psychology?
Reality is organized or reduced to the simplest form
What is purity of light?
Saturation of color
What is the perceptual set?
The failure to see visible object or events because ones attention is focused elsewhere
What is the phi phenomenon?
The illusion of movement created by presenting a visual stimuli in rapid succession
What is depth perception?
Interpretation of visual cues that indicate how near or far away objects are
What is convergence?
Involves sending the eyes converging toward each other as they focus on closer objects
What are monocular depth cues?
Clues about distance based on one eye alone
What are the binocular depth cues?
Clues about distances based on the image of both eyes
What controls pitch?
Frequency
What controls brightness?
Amplitude
What is the wavelength of light?
400-700 nanometers
What is closure?
Closing the circle
What is similarity?
Elements that are similar tend to be grouped together
What is simplicity?
Viewers tend to organize elements in the simplest way possible
What is proximity?
Elements that are close to one another tend to be grouped together
What is continuity?
Viewers that are similar tend to see elements in ways that produce smooth continuation
What is linear perspective?
A depth cue reflecting the fact that lines converge in the distance
What is interposition?
An object that comes between you and another object, it must be closer to you
What is relative size?
A cue because closer objects appear larger
What is depth perception?
Involved interpretation of visual cues that indicate how far or near objects are
Sensory adaptation
Decreases responsiveness to stimuli due to constant stimulation
