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AP Psych > Chapter 4: Sensation & Perception > Flashcards

Chapter 4: Sensation & Perception Flashcards

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0
Q

Absolute threshold

A

Minimum amount of a stimulus that an observer can reliably detect

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1
Q

Bottom-Up Processing

A

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

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2
Q

Accommodation

A

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

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3
Q

Sensation

A

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

Ex: Brian’s brain

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4
Q

Perception

A

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

Ex. Patterns of design

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6
Q

Top-Down Processing

A

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

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7
Q

Synesthesia

A

A mixing of sensory experiences.

Ex: “seeing” colors when a sound is heard

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8
Q

Transduction

A

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

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9
Q

Coding

A

Converting sensory inputs into different situations

Ex. Driving learning etc

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10
Q

Sensory reduction

A

Filtering and analyzing incoming sensations before sending a neural message to the cortex

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11
Q

Psychophysics

A

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

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12
Q

Difference threshold

A

Minimal difference needed to notice a stimulus change; also called the “just noticeable difference” (JND)

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13
Q

Subliminal

A

Pertaining to stimuli presented below conscious awareness

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14
Q

Sensory Adaption

A

Decreased sensitivity due to repeated or constant stimulation

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15
Q

Gate-Control theory

A

Theory that pain sensations are processed and altered by mechanisms within the spinal cord

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16
Q

Wavelength

A

Distance between the crests (or peaks) of light or sound waves; the shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency

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17
Q

Frequency

A

How often a light or sound wave cycles

Ex: the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time

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17
Q

Amplitude

A

Height of a light or sound wave-pertaining to light, it refers to brightness; for sound, it refers to loudness

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18
Q

Rods

A

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

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19
Q

Cones

A

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

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20
Q

Retina

A

Light-sensitive inner surface of the back of the eye, which contains the receptor cells for vision (rods and cones)

21
Q

Fovea

A

Tiny put in the center of the retina filled with cones; responsible for sharp vision

22
Q

Blind spot

A

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

23
Q

Nearsightedness (myopia)

A

Visual acuity problem resulting from the cornea and focusing an image in front of the retina

24
Q

Farsightedness (hyperopia)

A

Visual acuity problem resulting from the cornea and lens focusing an image behind the retina

25
Q

Trichromatic theory

A

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

26
Q

Opponent-process theory

A

Hering’s theory that color perception is based on three systems of color opposites: blue-yellow, red-green, and black-white

27
Q

Audition

A

Sense of hearing

28
Q

Outer ear

A

Pinna, auditory canal, and eardrum, which funnel sound waves to the middle ear

29
Q

Middle ear

A

Hammer, anvil, and stirrup, which concentrate eardrum vibrations onto the cochlea’s oval window

30
Q

Inner ear

A

Cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs, which generate neural signals sent to the brain

31
Q

Cochlea

A

Three-chambered, snail-shaped structure in the inner ear containing the receptors for hearing

32
Q

Place theory

A

Explains that pitch perception is linked to the particular spot on the cochlea’ basilar membrane that is most stimulated

33
Q

Frequency theory

A

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

34
Q

Olfaction

A

Sense of smell

35
Q

Conduction deafness

A

Middle ear deafness resulting from problems with transferring sound waves to the inner ear

36
Q

Nerve deafness

A

Inner ear deafness resulting from damage to the cochlea, hair cells, or auditory nerve

37
Q

Pheromones

A

Airborne chemicals that affect behavior, including recognition of family members, aggression, territorial marking, and sexual mating

38
Q

Gustation

A

Sense of taste

39
Q

Kinesthesia

A

Sensory system for body posture, orientation, and bodily movement

40
Q

Illusion

A

False or misleading perception

41
Q

Selective attention

A

Filtering out and attending only to important sensory messages

42
Q

Feature detectors

A

Specialized neurons that respond only to certain sensory information

43
Q

Habituation

A

Tendency of the brain to ignore environmental factors that remain constant ex. Nature

44
Q

Perceptual constancy

A

Tendency for the environment to be perceived as remaining the same even with changes in sensory input

45
Q

Death perception

A

The ability to perceive three-dimensional space and to accurately judge distance
Ex. Box cube

46
Q

Binocular cues

A

Visual input from two eyes that allows perception of depth or distance

47
Q

Monocular cues

A

Visual input from a single eye alone that contributes to perception of depth or distance

48
Q

Retinal disparity

A

Binocular cue to distance in which the separation of the eyes causes different images to fall on each retina

49
Q

Convergence

A

Binocular depth cue in which the closer the object, the more the eyes converge, or turn inward

50
Q

Perceptual set

A

Readiness to perceive in a particular manner based on expectations

51
Q

Extrasensory perception (ESP)

A

Perceptual, or “psychic” abilities that supposedly go beyond the known senses

Ex: telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis

AP Psych (17 decks)

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