Chapter 4: Sensation & Perception Flashcards
Absolute threshold
Minimum amount of a stimulus that an observer can reliably detect
Bottom-Up Processing
Information processing beginning “at the bottom” with raw sensory data that are sent “up” to the brain for higher-level analysis; data driven processing that moves from the parts to the whole
U—–>n
Accommodation
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
Sensation
Process of detecting, converting, and transmitting raw sensory information from the external and internal environments to the brain
Ex: Brian’s brain
Perception
Process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information into meaningful patterns
Ex. Patterns of design
Top-Down Processing
Information processing starting “at the top”, with higher level cognitive processes (such as, expectations and knowledge), and then working down; conceptually driven processing that moves from the whole to the parts
n—–>U
Synesthesia
A mixing of sensory experiences.
Ex: “seeing” colors when a sound is heard
Transduction
Converting a receptor’s energy into neural implicates that are sent on to the brain
Coding
Converting sensory inputs into different situations
Ex. Driving learning etc
Sensory reduction
Filtering and analyzing incoming sensations before sending a neural message to the cortex
Psychophysics
Studies the link between the physic characteristics of stimuli and our sensory experience of them
Difference threshold
Minimal difference needed to notice a stimulus change; also called the “just noticeable difference” (JND)
Subliminal
Pertaining to stimuli presented below conscious awareness
Sensory Adaption
Decreased sensitivity due to repeated or constant stimulation
Gate-Control theory
Theory that pain sensations are processed and altered by mechanisms within the spinal cord
Wavelength
Distance between the crests (or peaks) of light or sound waves; the shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency
Frequency
How often a light or sound wave cycles
Ex: the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
Amplitude
Height of a light or sound wave-pertaining to light, it refers to brightness; for sound, it refers to loudness
Rods
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
Cones
Visual receptor cells, concentrated near the center of the retina, responsible for color vision and fine detail; most sensitive in brightly lit conditions ex. Red blue green
Retina
Light-sensitive inner surface of the back of the eye, which contains the receptor cells for vision (rods and cones)
Fovea
Tiny put in the center of the retina filled with cones; responsible for sharp vision
Blind spot
Point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye; contains no receptor cells for vision-thus creating a “blind spot”
Nearsightedness (myopia)
Visual acuity problem resulting from the cornea and focusing an image in front of the retina
Farsightedness (hyperopia)
Visual acuity problem resulting from the cornea and lens focusing an image behind the retina
Trichromatic theory
Theory stating that color perception results from three types of cones in the retina, each most sensitive to either red, green, or blue. Other colors result from a mixture of these three
Opponent-process theory
Hering’s theory that color perception is based on three systems of color opposites: blue-yellow, red-green, and black-white
Audition
Sense of hearing
Outer ear
Pinna, auditory canal, and eardrum, which funnel sound waves to the middle ear
Middle ear
Hammer, anvil, and stirrup, which concentrate eardrum vibrations onto the cochlea’s oval window
Inner ear
Cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs, which generate neural signals sent to the brain
Cochlea
Three-chambered, snail-shaped structure in the inner ear containing the receptors for hearing
Place theory
Explains that pitch perception is linked to the particular spot on the cochlea’ basilar membrane that is most stimulated
Frequency theory
Explains that pitch perception occurs when nerve impulses sent to the brain match the frequency of the sound wave
Olfaction
Sense of smell
Conduction deafness
Middle ear deafness resulting from problems with transferring sound waves to the inner ear
Nerve deafness
Inner ear deafness resulting from damage to the cochlea, hair cells, or auditory nerve
Pheromones
Airborne chemicals that affect behavior, including recognition of family members, aggression, territorial marking, and sexual mating
Gustation
Sense of taste
Kinesthesia
Sensory system for body posture, orientation, and bodily movement
Illusion
False or misleading perception
Selective attention
Filtering out and attending only to important sensory messages
Feature detectors
Specialized neurons that respond only to certain sensory information
Habituation
Tendency of the brain to ignore environmental factors that remain constant ex. Nature
Perceptual constancy
Tendency for the environment to be perceived as remaining the same even with changes in sensory input
Death perception
The ability to perceive three-dimensional space and to accurately judge distance
Ex. Box cube
Binocular cues
Visual input from two eyes that allows perception of depth or distance
Monocular cues
Visual input from a single eye alone that contributes to perception of depth or distance
Retinal disparity
Binocular cue to distance in which the separation of the eyes causes different images to fall on each retina
Convergence
Binocular depth cue in which the closer the object, the more the eyes converge, or turn inward
Perceptual set
Readiness to perceive in a particular manner based on expectations
Extrasensory perception (ESP)
Perceptual, or “psychic” abilities that supposedly go beyond the known senses
Ex: telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis
