Chapter 4- Sensation And Perception

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

Process of detecting, converting, and transmitting raw sensory information from the external and internal environments to the brain

Question 2

Perception

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Transduction

Answer 3

Converting a receptor’s energy into neural impulses that are sent on to the brain

Question 4

Coding

Answer 4

Converting sensory inputs into different sensations

Question 5

Sensory reduction

Answer 5

Filtering and analyzing incoming sensations before sending neural messages on to the cortex

Question 6

Psychophysics

Answer 6

Studies the link between physical characteristics of stimuli and our sensory experience of them

Question 7

Absolute Threshold

Answer 7

Minimum amount of a stimulus that an observer can reliably detect

Question 8

Difference threshold

Answer 8

Minimal difference needed to notice a stimulus change

Aka Just Noticeable Difference

Question 9

Subliminal Perception

Answer 9

Perceiving something without conscious awareness

doesn’t necessarily cause or change actions

Question 10

Sensory Adaptation

Answer 10

Repeated or constant stimulation decreases the number of sensory messages sent to the brain which causes decreased sensation

Question 11

Gate-Control Theory

Answer 11

Theory that pain sensations are processed and altered by mechanisms within the spinal cord
Damaged tissue opens the gate, counter pressure closes the gate
Pain is a mix of biological and psychological factors

Question 12

Endorphins

Answer 12

Neurotransmitter that acts in the same way as morphine by inhibiting pain perception and closing the gate

Question 13

Substance P

Answer 13

Neurotransmitter that opens the pain gate

Question 14

Wavelength

Answer 14

The distance between successive peaks
Long wavelength/low frequency- reddish colours, low sounds
Short wavelength/high frequency- blueish colours, high sounds

Question 15

Wave Amplitude

Answer 15

The height from peak to trough
Low amplitude/low intensity- dull colours, soft sounds
High amplitude/high intensity- bright colours, loud sounds

Question 16

Range of wavelengths

Answer 16

The mixture of waves
Small range/low complexity- less complex colours and sounds
Large range/high complexity- complex colours and sounds

Question 17

Fovea

Answer 17

Tiny pit in the centre of the retina filled with cones; responsible for sharp vision

Question 18

Blind Spot

Answer 18

Point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye; contains no receptor cells for vision, thus creating a blind spot

Question 19

Accommodation

Answer 19

Automatic adjustment of the eye which occurs when muscles change the shape of the lens so that it focuses light on the retina from objects at different distances

Question 20

Retina

Answer 20

Light sensitive inner surface of the back of the eye, which contains the receptor cells for vision

Question 21

Rods

Answer 21

Visual receptor cells in the retina that detect shades of gray and are responsible for peripheral vision
Most important in dim light and at night

Question 22

Cones

Answer 22

Visual receptor cells, concentrated near the centre of the retina, responsible for colour vision and fine detail
Most sensitive in brightly lit conditions

Question 23

Place Theory

Answer 23

Explains that pitch perception is linked to the particular spot on the cochlear’s basilica membrane that is most stimulated

Question 24

Frequency Theory

Answer 24

Explains that pitch perception occurs when nerve impulses sent to the brain match the frequency of the sound wave

Question 25

Olfaction

Answer 25

Sense of smell

Question 26

Pheromones

Answer 26

Compounds found in body scents that may affect various behaviours

Question 27

Gustation

Answer 27

Sense of taste

Question 28

5 Taste Sensations

Answer 28

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, uami (delicious)

Question 29

Skin

Answer 29

Tactile sense- uses a variety of receptors located in different parts of the skin to detect pain, temperature, fine touch, and pressure

Question 30

Vestibular

Answer 30

Sense of body movement and position, also called the sense of balance Located in the inner ear, composed of the vestibular sacs and the semicircular canals

Question 31

Kinesthesis

Answer 31

Sensory system for detecting body posture, orientation, and movement of individual body parts Kinesthetic receptors are found throughout the muscles, joints, and tendons of the body

Question 32

Selective Attention

Answer 32

Filtering out and attending only to important sensory messages

Question 33

Feature Detectors

Answer 33

Specialized neurons that respond only To certain sensory information

Question 34

Habituation

Answer 34

The brains reduced responsiveness to unchanging stimuli

Question 35

Gestalt Principles

Answer 35

Emphasizes the importance of organization and patterning in enabling us to perceive the whole stimuli

Question 36

Figure Ground Principle

Answer 36

Gestalt | We are able to distinguish objects from their surroundings

Question 37

Proximity Principle

Answer 37

Gestalt | We group together objects that are physically close

Question 38

Continuity Principle

Answer 38

Gestalt | Objects that continue a pattern are grouped together

Question 39

Closure Principle

Answer 39

Gestalt | The tendency to see a finished unit from and incomplete stimulus

Question 40

Similarity Principle

Answer 40

Gestalt | Similar objects are grouped together

Question 41

Binocular Depth Cues

Answer 41

Retinal disparity- images on retina can be in different places depending on the distance of the image Convergence- the turning in of your eyes, the strain of which help your brain interpret distance

Question 42

Size Constancy

Answer 42

We are able to look past obvious size disparities because we know from experience the general size of things

Question 43

Shape Constancy

Answer 43

As an object rotates or moves it changes shale but we can still perceive it as the same shape

Question 44

Colour and Brightness Constancy

Answer 44

Although there are shadows and highlights, we perceive constancy in the colour

Question 45

Trichromatic Theory

Answer 45

Found that there are 3 primary colours (red, blue, and green) that can be combined to form all colours

Question 46

Opponent process theory

Answer 46

Hering's theory states that colour perception is based on three systems of colour opposites Blue yellow, red green, black white

Question 47

Perceptual Adaptation

Answer 47

The brains ability to rewire itself to adjust to new stimuli

Question 48

Frame of Reference

Answer 48

Our perceptions are affected by their context