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PSYC105 > Chapter 4 - Sensation & Perception > Flashcards

Chapter 4 - Sensation & Perception Flashcards

1
Q

sensation

A

the process of detecting external events with sense organs and turning those stimuli into neural signals

receiving raw sensory input

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2
Q

perception

A

involves attending to, organizing, and interpreting stimuli that we sense

e.g. organizing diff vibrations in eardrum -> recognition: human voice

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3
Q

transduction

A

when specialized receptors transform the physical energy of the outside world into neural impulses

-> lead to our internal representation of the world

sensory receptors involved in this process differ for each sense

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4
Q

from stimulus/sensation to perception

A

stimulus -> sensory receptors -> neural impulses -> perception

transduction occurs as a bridge btwn sensory receptors & neural impulses

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5
Q

Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies

A

1826, German physiologist Johannes Muller: States that the different senses are separated in the brain

Though, recent studies show that pathways are not immediately distinct:

perception is a skill that our brains learn through experience

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6
Q

orienting response

A

elicited by changes in our sensory and perceptual worlds -> O.R. allows us to quickly shift our attention to new or altered stimuli

eg. stepping outside a building onto busy street (traffic, bright light)

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7
Q

Sensory adaptation

A

the reduction of activity in sensory receptors with repeated exposure to a stimulus

Pro: allows us to adapt and focus on other more important events/stimuli

Con: not realizing that stimuli still affects, we are prone to eventual damage

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8
Q

psychophysics

A

Gustav Fechner (1801-1887) German physicist. Helped create this field of study that explores how physical energy such as light & sound and their intensity relate to psychological experience

popular approach: measure min. amount of stimulus needed for detection degree to which stimulus must change in strength for change to be perceptible to people

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9
Q

absolute threshold

A

minimum amount of energy or quantity of a stimulus required for it be be reliably detected at least 50% of the time it is presented

varies depending on subject (ie species) and current environment

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10
Q

difference threshold

A

the smallest difference between stimuli that can be reliably detected at least 50% of the time

e.g. add salt to your food: to cross d.t. so taste buds can register

the more intense the original stimulus, the larger amount of it that must be added for the difference threshold to be reached

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11
Q

Weber’s law

A

Ernst Weber (1795-1878) German physician: law states that the just noticeable difference between two stimuli changes as a proportion of these stimuli

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12
Q

Signal Detection Theory

A

states that whether a stimulus is perceived depends on both the sensory experience and the judgement made by the *subject

examines both **sensory process ** and decision process

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13
Q

subliminal perception

A

perception below the threshold of conscious awareness

(eg. “drink coke” on movie screen) -> can it control our behaviours?

supporting evidence prob due to participants’ expectations, though it is possible in under strict lab conditions

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14
Q

priming

A

the activation of individual concepts in long-term memory

-> priming is unlikely to create motivations that hadn’t previously existed; instead, enhance the pre-existing

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15
Q

figure-ground principle

A

Gestalt principle: objects or “figures” in our enviro tend to stand out against a background

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16
Q

proximity principle

A

Gestalt principle: we tend to treat 2+ objects in close procimity to each other as a group

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17
Q

proximity principle

A

Gestalt principle: we tend to group together individuals wearing the same uniform based on their visual similarity

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18
Q

Continuity principle

A

Gestalt principle: perceptual rule that lines and other objects tend to be continuous, rather than abruptly changing direction

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19
Q

closure principle

A

Gestalt principle: the tendency to fill in gaps to complete a whole object

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20
Q

Main takeaway from Gestalt concepts

A

characteristic of perception: we create our own organized perceptions out of the different sensory inputs that we experience

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21
Q

top-down processing

A

when our perceptions are influenced by our expectations or by our prior knowledge

reading 12 & 14 leads to expectation that ambiguous stimulus must be 13

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22
Q

bottom-up processing

A

occurs when we perceive individuals bits of sensory information (eg. sounds) and use them to construct a more complex perception (eg. a message)

occurs when you encounter something unfamiliar/difficult to recognize

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23
Q

perceptual set

A

a filer that influences what aspects of a scene we perceive or pay attention to

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24
Q

divided attention

A

paying attention to more than one stimulus or task at the same tiem

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25
Q

selective attention

A

focusing on one particular event or task

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26
Q

inattentional blindness

A

a failure to notice clearly visible events or objects because attention is directed elsewhere

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27
Q

wavelength

A

distance between peaks of a wave (re. colour perception: long wl correspond to perception of reddish colours, short wl w/ bluish colours)

-> additionally, low-amplitude waves correspond with dim colours, and high-amplidude waves are seen as bright colours

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28
Q

sclera

A

white, outer surface of the eye

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29
Q

cornea

A

clear layer that covers the front portion of the eye and also contributes to the eye’s ability to focus

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30
Q

pupil

A

regulates the amount of light that enters by changing its size; it dilates to allow more light to enter and constricts to allow less light into the eye

31
Q

iris

A

a round muscle that adjusts the size of the pupil; it also gives the eyes their characteristic colour

32
Q

lens

A

a clear structure that focuses light onto the back of the eye

33
Q

accomodation

A

the lens can change its shape to ensure that light entering the eye is refracted in such a way that is focused when it reaches the back of the eye

34
Q

retina

A

lines the inner surfact of the back of the eye. consists of specialized receptors that absorb light & send signals related to the properties of light **to the brain

35
Q

optic nerve

A

a dense bundle of fibres that *connect to the brain

36
Q

optic disc

A

area of the retina with no photo receptors (due to placement of the optic nerve) -> results in a blind spot

37
Q

rods

A

photoreceptors that occupy peripheral regions of the retina; they are highly sensitive under low light levels

38
Q

cones

A

photoreceptors that are sensitive to the different wavelengths of light that we perceive as colour

39
Q

fovea

A

central region of the retina

40
Q

dark adaptation

A

the process by which the rods and cones become increasingly sensitive to light under lower levels of illumination

41
Q
A
42
Q

trichromatic theory (/Young-Helmholtz theory)

A

maintains that colour vision is determined by three different cone types that are sensitive to short, medium, and long wavelengths of light

43
Q

opponent-process theory (of colour perception)

A

states that we perceive colour in terms of opposing pairs

-> red to green, yellow to blue, and white to black

explains tendency of *negative afterimage *
complementary of trichromatic theory bc/ both are required to explain how we see colour

–> trichromatic: expl colour vision in terms of the activity of cones
–> opponent-process: expl what happens when ganglion cells process signals from a # of diff cones at the same time

44
Q

optic chiasm

1st stop of info from the optic nerve

A

point at wh/ the optic nerves cross at the midline of the brain

45
Q

feature detection cells

cells of the visual cortex

A

respond selectively to simple and specific aspects of a stimulus, such as angles and edges

-> principle location that visual imput is organized for perception

46
Q

ventral stream

A

extends from the visual cortex to the lower part of the temporal lobe
main function: object recognition

“what” pathway

47
Q

dorsal stream

A

extends from the visual cortex to the parietal lobe
main function: locating objects in space & allowing you to interact with them

“where” pathway

48
Q

perceptual constancy

A

the ability to perceive objects as having constant shape, size, and colour despite changes in perspective

-> applies to shape, size, colour

49
Q

t

propagnosia

A

‘face blindndess’ an inability to recognize faces

50
Q

binocular depth cues

A

distances cues that are based on the differing perspectives of both eyes

51
Q

convergence

A

a type of binocular depth cue that occurs when the eye muscles contract so that both eyes focus on a single object

52
Q

retinal disparirty

A

the difference in relative position of an object as seen by both eyes -> provides info to the brain about depth

possible bc/ stereoscopic vision: result of overlapping visual fields

53
Q

monocular cues

A

depth cues that we can perceive with only one eye

cues include accomodation, motion parallax

54
Q

pitch

A

the perceptual experience of sound wave frequencies

-> loudness (function of sound wave amplitude)expressed in decibels (dB)

55
Q

cochlea

A

a fluid-filled membrane that is coiled in a snail-like shape and contains the structures that convert sound into neural impulses

56
Q

sound localization

A

process of ID’ing where sound comes from (handled by brainstem & midbrain structure called inferior colluiculus)

-> involves which ear the sound hits first, intensity & sound shadow

57
Q

place theory of hearing

A

how we perceive pitch is based on the** location along the basilar membrane** that sound stimulates

high-freq sounds stimulate hair cells @ base of cochlea
low-freq **@

58
Q

frequency theory

A

the perception of pitch is related to the frequency at which the basilar membrane vibrates

eg, 70 -Hz sound stimular hair cells 70x/second

volley principle: groups of neurons fire in alternating fashion for sounds that exceed the # of times a neuron can fire/second (1000Hz)

59
Q

primary auditory cortex

A

major perceptual centre of the brain involved in perceiving what we hear

60
Q

vestibular system

A

a sensory system in the ear that provides information about spatial orientation of the head as well as head motion

contains 2 groups of structures (vestibular sacs & semicircular canals)

61
Q

vestibular sacs

A

structures that influence your ability to detect when your head is no longer in an upright position (made up of utricle and* saccule)*

62
Q
A
62
Q

semicircular canals

A

3 fluid-filled canals found in the inner ear that respond when your head moves in diff directions

63
Q

somatosensory cortex

A

located in the parietal lobes of the brain (neural region associated w/ sense of touch) -> responsible for sensual experiences

64
Q

haptics

A

the active, exploratory aspect of touch sensation and perception

65
Q

kinesthesis

A

the sense of bodily motion and position

66
Q

nociception

A

the activity of nerve pathways that respond to uncomfortable stimulation

fast fibres register sharp, immediate pain
**slow ** 4 chronic, dull

67
Q

gate-control theory

A

explains our experience of pain as an interaction between nerves that transmit pain messages and those that inhibit these messages

68
Q

phantom limb sensations

A

frequently experienced by amputees, who report pain & other sensations coming from the absent limb

69
Q

gustatory system

A

functions in the sensation and perception of taste

70
Q

oflactory system

A

involved in smell - the detection of airborne particles with specialized receptors located in the nose

71
Q

oflactory epithelium

A

a thin layer of cells that are lined by sensory receptors called cilia

->cilia transmit messages directly to neurons that converge on ol. bulb

72
Q

olfactory bulb

A

which serves as the brain’s central region for processing smells

on the bottom surface of the frontal lobes

73
Q

multimodal integration

A

the ability to combine sensation from different modalities such as vision and hearing into a single integrated perception

PSYC105 (4 decks)

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