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Psychology > Chapter 4: Sensation + Perception > Flashcards

Chapter 4: Sensation + Perception Flashcards

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1
Q

perception

definition

A

the brain’s interpretation of raw sensory inputs

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2
Q

explain how perception occurs within the brain

A

the energy from the raw sensory inputs is tranduced/encoded into neural signals + transmitted along neural axons to auditory centers in the temporal lobe of the forebrain

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3
Q

sensation

definition

A

detection of physical energy by sense organs (eyes, ears, skin, nose, tongue) which then send information to the brain

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4
Q

sensation

example

A

energy in the form of vibration/sound waves activates specialized auditory receptors in the ears

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5
Q

all conscious experiences drived from physical/chemical information flowing through our senses are ____

perceptions or sensations?

A

perceptions

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6
Q

when you tickle my back, I get a weird ____

perception or sensation?

A

perception

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7
Q

illusion

definition

A

when the way we percieve a stimulus doesn’t match its physical activity

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8
Q

____ first allows us to pick up the signals in our environments + ____ then allows us to assemble these signals into something meaningful

perception or sensation?

A

sensation, perception

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9
Q

naive realism

definition

A

the belief that we see the world precisely as it is

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10
Q

is naive realism correct?

A

no
-the world isn’t precisely as we see it
-we sample only a tiny portion of the world

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11
Q

transduction

definition

A

the process of converting an external energy/substance into electrical activity wtihin neurons

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12
Q

transduction

example

A

the neural messages are interpreted as meaningful sounds by the auditory cortex + auditory association areas of the temporal lobe

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13
Q

sense receptor

definition

A

specialized cell that transduces a specific stimulus

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14
Q

sensory adaptation

definition

A

for all of our senses, activation is greatest when we first detect a stimulus

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15
Q

for all of our senses, when is activation the greatest?

A

when we first detect a stimulus

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16
Q

sensory adaptation

example

A

the initial smell of perfume in a store is super strong, but as you walk around it becomes less strong

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17
Q

absolute threshold

definition

A

the minimum intensity of a stimulus necessary for it to be detected at least 50% of the time

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18
Q

is absolute threshold the same for every person?

A

no
-differs from person to person for each sense
-may also vary with psychological conditions

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19
Q

absolute threshold

example

A

the radio isn’t super loud but goes from none to being able to sense something a little bit

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20
Q

just noticeable difference (JND)

definition

A

the smallest difference between 2 stimuli that can be detected by an appropriate sense organ

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21
Q

just noticeable difference

example

A

-when listening to the radio in the car, if you turn the volume from 5 to 7, you can already hear the difference in sound
-however, if it’s between 30 and 32 you can’t sense the difference
-therefore, you sometimes need a bigger difference to detect the distinction between the 2 volumes

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22
Q

weber’s law

definition

A

-there is a constant proportional relationship between JND + the original stimulus intensity
-therefore, the stronger the stimulus, a bigger change is needed for a change in stimulus intensity to be noticeable

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23
Q

signal detection theory

definition

A

how we detect stimuli under uncertain conditions

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24
Q

signal-to-noise ratio

definition

A

it becomes harder to detect a signal as background noise increases

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25
Q

response bias

definition

A

the tendency to guess wrong/untruthfully when in doubt + under noisy conditions

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26
Q

what does the frequency of false-negatives + false-positives help us measure?

A

how biased participants are to respond “yes” or “no” in general

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27
Q

true positive

definition

A

respond yes, stimulus present

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28
Q

false negative

definition

A

respond no, stimulus present

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29
Q

false positive

definition

A

respond yes, stimulus absent

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30
Q

true negative

definition

A

respond no, stimulus absent

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31
Q
A
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32
Q

even though there are many distinct stimulus energies (light, sound, touch)…
the sensation we experience is determined by the nature of the ____

stimulus or sensory receptor?

A

sensory receptor

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33
Q

phosphenes

definition

A

vivid sensations of light caused by pressure on your eye’s receptor cells

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34
Q

where do phosphenes occur in our brain?

A

cerebral cortex
-doesn’t matter to our brain whether light or touch activated the sensory receptor, our brains react in the same way to either case

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35
Q

what do phosphenes look like?

A

sparks or similar to the multicolored shapes in a kaleidoscope

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36
Q

what can phosphenes potentially explain?

A

certain reports of ghosts + UFOs

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37
Q

synesthesia

definition

A

a remarkable condition in which people experience cross-modal process

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38
Q

synesthesia

example

A

hearing sounds when seeing colors

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39
Q

why does synesthesia occur?

2 reasons

A

-crosstalk among different brain regions
-a single brain region may serve double duty

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40
Q

crosstalk in synesthesia

example

A

-hear high tone with ligher colors + low tone with darker colors
-seeing a pat on someone’s shoulder + feeling the pat on your own shoulder

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41
Q

single brain region serving double duty in synesthesia

example

A

neurons in the auditory cortex tune to sound + also respond to touch
-if visual stimuli enhanced touch perception

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42
Q

mirror-touch synesthesia

definition

A

a person experiences the same sensation that another person experiences
-such as touch

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43
Q

lexical-gustatory synesthesia

definition

A

words are associated with specific tastes/textures

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44
Q

chromesthesia

definition

A

sounds trigger the experience of color

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45
Q

misophonia

definition

A

sounds trigger strong emotions such as anger/fear

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46
Q

personification

A

numbers, letters, or days of the week take on personality characteristics + sometimes have a characteristic appearance

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47
Q

personification

example

A

-6 might be experienced as a king
-8 might be experienced as a sorcerer

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48
Q

number-form synesthesia

definition

A

numbers are imagined as mental maps

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49
Q

spatial sequence synesthesia

definition

A

certain sequences of numbers, dates, or months are perceived as closer/farther in space

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50
Q

psychophysics

definition

A

the study of how we perceive sensory stimuli based on their physical characteristics

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51
Q

selective attention

definition

A

process of selecting 1 sensory channel + ignoring/minimizing others

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52
Q

cocktail party effect

definition

A

if you go to a party + it is loud, you are still able to continue your conversation

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53
Q

exception to cocktail party effect

A

if you are at a party talking in a group + hear your name being called by someone on the other side of the room, you can still detect that

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54
Q

cocktail party effect is under the category of ____

A

selective attention

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55
Q

filter theory of attention

definition

A

views attention as a bottleneck through which information passes
-our mental filter slows down information by enabling us to pay attention to important stimuli + ignore others

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56
Q

inattentional blindness

definition

A

failure to detect stimuli that are in plain sight when our attention is focused elsewhere

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57
Q

change blindness

definition

A

failure to detect obvious changes in one’s environment

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58
Q

binding problem

definition

A

when we percieve an apple, different regions of our brains process different aspects of it
-we don’t really know how our brains manage to combine these diverse pieces of information into a unified whole

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59
Q

light

definition

A

a form of electromagnetic energy with brightness influenced by the intesnity of the reflected light that reaches our eyes

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60
Q

hue

definition

A

the color of light

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61
Q

acuity

definition

A

sharpness of vision

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62
Q

pupil

definition

A

a circular hole through which light enters the eye

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63
Q

why does the pupil dilate?

A

to process complex information + attractive faces

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64
Q

cornea

definition

A

bends light waves to focus image on retina

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65
Q

lens

definition

A

bends light to fine-tune visual image

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66
Q

where is the lens located?

A

behind the cornea

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67
Q

lens accomondation

definition

A

flat or fat

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68
Q

flat lens accomodation

definition

A

-long, skinny
-lens for distant objects

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69
Q

fat lens accomodation

definition

A

-short, wide
-lens for nearby objects

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70
Q

retina

definition

A

has 2 types of receptor cells for seeing light + color
-rods
-cones

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71
Q

rods

definition

A

-for seeing basic shapes + forms
-long + narrow
-allows us to see in low levels of light

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72
Q

cones

definition

A

for color vision

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73
Q

dark adaptation

definition

A

time in the dark before rods regain maximum light sensitivity

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74
Q

photopigments

definition

A

chemicals that change following exposure to light

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75
Q

rhodopsin

definition

A

photopigment in rods

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76
Q

what vitamin improves vision + when?

A

vitamin A
-only improves vision when vision is impaired due to a vitamin A deficiency

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77
Q

fovea

definition

A

the central portion of the retina

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78
Q

optic nerve

definition

A

-contains the axons of ganglion cells
-travels from the retina to the rest of the brain

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79
Q

blind spot

definition

A

-a part of the visual field we can’t see
-a region of the retina containing no rods/sense receptors because axons of ganglion cells push everything else aside

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80
Q

what do blind spots contribute to?

A

our visual illusion

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81
Q

feature detection

definition

A

our ability to use certain minimal patterns to identify objects

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82
Q

feature detector cells

definition

A

detect lines + edges
-there are more complex feature detector cells at later levels of visual processing that detect lines of specific lengths, complex shapes, + moving objects

83
Q

trichromatic theory

definition

A

we base our color vision on 3 primary colors with having 3 kinds of cones, each maximally sensitive to different wavelengths of light

84
Q

what 3 colors do we base our vision on?- according to trichromatic theory

A

-blue
-green
-red

85
Q

absence/reduced number of 1 or more types of cones due to genetic abnormalities leads to ____

A

color blindness

86
Q

color blindness

definition

A

inability to see all/some colors

87
Q

monochromat

definition

A

-people with 1 type of cone
-lose all color vision
-rare

88
Q

dichromat

definition

A

-people with 2 types of cones
-missing only 1
-ex: red-green color blindness

89
Q

trichromat

definition

A

having all 3 cones

90
Q

tetrachromat

definition

A

4 types of cones
-blue, green, red, + additional cone for a color bewteen red + green

91
Q

opponent process theory

definition

A

we perceive colors in terms of 3 pairs of opponent cells
-red or green
-blue or yellow
-black or white

92
Q

afterimages

definition

A

-occur when we’ve stared at 1 color for a long time then look away
-we will often see a different colored replica of the same image

93
Q

does trichromatic theory address afterimage?

A

no

94
Q

what theory addresses afterimage?

A

oponent process theory

95
Q

echolocation

definition

A

certain animals (bats, dolphins, + many whales) emit sounds + listen to echoes to determine their distance from a wall/barrier

96
Q

blindness

definition

A

-the inability to see
-vision is less than/equal to 20/200

97
Q

motion blindness

definition

A

a disorder where patients can’t seemlessly string still images processed by their brains into the perception of ongoing motion

98
Q

visual agnosia

definition

A

a deficit in perceiving objects

99
Q

visual agnosia

example

A

if someone can’t name something as cake, they would instead ask for the “white triangle shaped piece”

100
Q

blindsight

definition

A

phenomenon where blind people still make correct guesses about the visual appearance of things around them

101
Q

reasons why people can have blindsight

name 2

A

-echolocation
-they are sensitive to auditory information; this is why they have a stick

102
Q

myopia

definition

A

nearsightedness/the inability to see close objects well coupled with an inability to see far objects well

103
Q

why does myopia occur?

A

when images are focused in front of the rear of the eye due to our cornea being too steep or our eyes being too long

104
Q

parallel processing

definition

A

phenomenon of attending many sense modalities simultaneously

105
Q

parallel processing

example

A

when you sense weight, feel, etc. when holding an object

106
Q

bottom-up processing

definition

A

from raw input to concept
-like a detective; come up with a decision based on little information

107
Q

bottom-up processing

example

A

I smell something very good + I hear a popping sound in the oven- I decide the perception of mom’s cooking

108
Q

top-down processing

definition

A

from expectation to raw
-we already have expectations/theories that we use to apply to raw evidence

109
Q

top-down processing

example

A

someone texts me “idk” but since I already have this concept, I can use it for processing

110
Q

perceptual constancy

definition

A

the process by which we perceive stimuli consistently across varied conditions

111
Q

shape constancy

definition

A

our ability to perceive objects as the same shape no matter what position they are in

112
Q

size constancy

definition

A

our ability to perceive objects as the same size no matter how far away they are from us

113
Q

color constancy

definition

A

our ability to perceive color consistently across different levels of lighting

114
Q

different/same parts of the brain process different aspects of visual perception

A

different

115
Q

humans have an innate tendency to perceive meaningfullness out of…

A

inherently meaningless or fragmented sensory impressions

116
Q

original laws of Gestalt perceptual grouping

name 6

A

-proximity
-similarity
-closure
-continuity
-symmetry
-figure-ground

117
Q

Gestalt perceptual grouping

proximity

definition

A

objects physically close to each other tend to be perceived as unified wholes

118
Q

Gestalt perceptual grouping

similarity

definition

A

all things being equal, we see similar objects as comprising a whole, much more so than dissimilar objects

119
Q

Gestalt perceptual grouping

closure

definition

A

if there is a gap in the image of a familiar object, we will mentally fill in the missing portion to form a meaningful whole

120
Q

Gestalt perceptual grouping

continuity

definition

A

any visual elements that suggest a continued line will be grouped together

121
Q

Gestalt perceptual grouping

symmetry

definition

A

we perceive objects that are symmetrically arranged as wholes more often than those that aren’t

122
Q

Gestalt perceptual grouping

figure-ground

definition

A

we make instantaneous decisions to focus attention on what we believe to be the central figure
-we largely ignore what we believe to be the background

123
Q

subjective contours

definition

A

the phenomenon where our brains often provide missing information about outlines

124
Q

bistable image

definition

A

an image that can be perceived in 2 ways

125
Q

emergence

definition

A

a perceptual Gestalt that almost jumps out from the page + hits us all at once
-related to bistable image

126
Q

phi phenomenon

definition

A

the illusory preception of movement produced by the successive flashing of images

-the flashing lights that seem to circle around a movie sign
-these lights are actually jumping from 1 spot to another, but appear continuous
-shows that our perceptions of what’s moving + what’s not is based only on partial information, with our brains taking their best guesses about what’s missing

127
Q

depth perception

definition

A

the ability to see spatial relations in 3 dimensions

128
Q

depth perception

example

A

enables us to reach for a glass + grasp it rather than knock it over + spill its contents

129
Q

monocular cues

definition

A

perceiving 3 dimensions using only 1 eye with pictoral cues

130
Q

monocular cues

name 7

A

-relative size
-texture gradients
-interposition
-linear perspective
-height in plane
-light + shadow
-motion parallax

131
Q

relative size

definition

A

all things being equal, more distant objects look smaller than closer objects

132
Q

texture gradients

definition

A

the texture of objects become less apparent as objects move farther away

133
Q

interposition

definition

A

if 1 object that is closer blocks our view of another objects behind it + we know this, we know which object is closer + which is farther away

134
Q

linear perspective

definition

A

the outlines of rooms/buildings converge as distance increases to a vanishing point
-in reality, lines in parallel never meet but they appear to do so at a great distance

135
Q

height in plane

definition

A

in a scene, distant objects tend to appear higher + nearer objects tend to appear lower

136
Q

light + shadow

definition

A

objects cast shadows that give us a sense of their 3D form

137
Q

motion parallax

definition

A

the ability to judge the distance of moving objects from their speed

138
Q

is motion parallax pictoral?

A

no

139
Q

binocular cues

definition

A

view of 2 visual fields with both eyes

140
Q

binocular disparity

definition

A

left + right eyes transmit quite different information for near objects but see distant objects similarly

141
Q

binocular convergence

definition

A

when we look at nearby objects, we focus on them reflexively by using our eye muscles to turn our eyes inward

142
Q

audition

definition

A

our sense of hearing

143
Q

biaural cue

definition

A

localizes sound sources heard by both ears

144
Q

monaural cue

definition

A

localizes sound sources heard by 1 ear

145
Q

subliminal perception

definition

A

processing of sensory information that occurs below the level of conscious awareness

146
Q

extrasensory perception (ESP)

definition

A

perception for events outside the known channels of sensation

147
Q

precognition

definition

A

acquiring knowledge of future events before they occur through paranormal means

148
Q

telepathy

definition

A

reading other people’s minds

149
Q

clairvoyance

definition

A

detecting the presence of objects/people hidden from view

150
Q

sound

definition

A

mechanical vibration

151
Q

what does pitch correspond to?

A

the frequency of the sound wave

152
Q

higher frequency = ____ pitch

A

higher

153
Q

unit for pitch

A

hertz

154
Q

place theory

definition

A

a specific place along the basilar membrane matches a tone with a specific pitch

155
Q

place theory is for high/low pitched sound?

A

high (5,000-20,000 Hz)
-hair cells located at the base of the basilar membrane are most excited by high-pitched tones

156
Q

frequency theory

definition

A

rate at which neurons fire the acction potential reproduces the pitch

157
Q

frequency theory is for high/low pitched sound?

A

low (up to 100 Hz)

158
Q

volley theory

definition

A

sets of neurons fire at their highest rate, slightly out of sync with each other, to reach overall rates up to 5,000 Hz

159
Q

volley theory is for high/low pitched sound?

A

low (100-5,000 Hz)

160
Q

amplitude

definition

A

corresponds to loudness

161
Q

for amplitude,
loud noise = ____ amplitude

A

increased

162
Q

unit for amplitude

A

decibels

163
Q

timbre

definition

A

the quality + complexity of a sound

164
Q

why do different musical instruments + human voices sound different?

A

because they differ in timbre

165
Q

outer ear

definition

A

-consists of pinna + ear cannel
-funnels sound waves onto the eardrum

166
Q

pinna

definition

A

the part of the ear that we see
-skin + cartilage flap

167
Q

middle ear

definition

A

contains the ossicles

168
Q

ossicles

definition

A

the 3 tiniest bones in the body (hammer, anvil, + stirrup)
-vibrate at the frequency of the sound wave, transmitting it from the eardrum to the inner ear

169
Q

inner ear

definition

A

where the cochlea converts vibration into neural activity
-contains organ of Corti, basilar membrane, + semicircular canals

170
Q

cochlea

definition

A

bony, spinal-shaped sense organ used for hearing

171
Q

organ of Corti

definition

A

tissue containing the hair cells necesary for hearing

172
Q

basilar membrane

definition

A

membrane supporting the organ of Corti + hair cells in the cochlea

173
Q

auditory nerve

definition

A

sends information into the brain through the thalamus

174
Q

thalamus

definition

A

sensory relay station

175
Q

semicircular canals

definition

A

in the inner ear, responsible for balance

176
Q

conductive deafness

definition

A

deafness due to malfunctioning of the ear

177
Q

nerve deafness

definition

A

deafness due to damage to the auditory nerve

178
Q

noise-induced hearing loss

definition

A

hearing loss due to damage to our hair cells from loud sounds

179
Q

age-related hearing loss

definition

A

byproduct of the loss of sensory cells
-degeneration of the auditory nerve

180
Q

olfaction

definition

A

smell

181
Q

where are olfactory receptors located?

A

in the nasal passages

182
Q

gustation

definition

A

taste

183
Q

where are taste buds located?

A

in papillae

184
Q

tongue taste map

definition

A

-a myth
-describes the tongue’s sensitivity to different flavors

185
Q

when olfactor receptors come into contact with odor molecules (airborne chemicals), what happens?

A

action potentials in olfactory neurons are triggered
-smiilar for gustatory perception

186
Q

pheromones

definition

A

odorless chemicals that serve as a social signal to members of one’s species

187
Q

body senses

definition

A

touch, body position, + balance

188
Q

somatosensory system

definition

A

senses touch, temperature, + pain

189
Q

what does the somatosensory system sense with specialized nerve endings?

A

-light touch
-deep pressure
-temperature

190
Q

what does the somatosensory system sense with free nerve endings?

A

-touch
-temperature
-ESPECIALLY pain

191
Q

are nerve endings evenly distributed?

A

NO
-nerve endings are mostly in the fingertips
-followed by lips, face, hands, + feet

192
Q

where are the fewest free nerve endings found?

A

middle back

193
Q

describe how touch + pain information create perception

A

-first they activate local spinal reflexes
-then travel to brain sites dedicated to perception

194
Q

gate control model

definition

A

idea that pain is blocked/gated from consciousness by neural mechanisms in the spinal cord
-accounts for how pain varies from situation to situation, depending on our psychological state

195
Q

phantom pain

definition

A

pain or discomfort felt in an amputated limb

196
Q

proprioception

definition

A

-sense of body position
-keeps track of where we are + helps to move efficiently

197
Q

what is the “kinesthetic sense”?

A

proprioception

198
Q

proprioceptors

definition

A

-stretch receptors in muscles
-force detectors in muscle tendons

199
Q

describe how proprioceptive information creates perception

A

proprioceptive info ->
spinal cord ->
brain stem + thalamus ->
somatosensory + motor cortexes + intention ->
perception of location

200
Q

vestibular sense

definition

A

sense of balance + equilibrium
-enables us to sense + maintain our balanace as we move about

201
Q

what senses equilibrium + maintain balanace?

A

the 3 semicircular canals in the inner ear filled with fluid

202
Q

describe how vestibular information travels to cause reflexes

A

vestibular info ->
brain stem ->
reflexes that coordinate eye/head movements

203
Q

describe how vestibular information travels to create balance

A

vestibular info ->
cerebellum ->
catch balance when falling

Psychology (15 decks)

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