Chapter 4: Sensing and Perceiving Our World

Question 1

the experience of having your sense organs stimulated (physical)

Answer 1

sensation

Question 2

interpreting the sensations that are experienced, to recognize meaning objects and events

Answer 2

perception

Question 3

diminishing sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus

Answer 3

sensory adaptation

Question 4

converting physical to neural information

Answer 4

transduction

Question 5

study of the relationship between physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experiences of them

Answer 5

psychophysics

Question 6

minimum stimulation needed to detect particular stimulus 50% of the time

Answer 6

absolute threshold

Question 7

minimum difference can detect between 2 stimuli half the time

Answer 7

just noticeable difference

Question 8

finding that the size of a jnd is a constant fractions of the intensity of the stimulus

Answer 8

weber’s law

Question 9

part of the eye that lets light in

Answer 9

pupil

Question 10

colored ring that surrounds the pupil

Answer 10

iris

Question 11

clear coating on the outside of your eye, protective layer (coarse focus)

Answer 11

cornea

Question 12

behind iris and mainly responsible for focusing vision (fine adjustment)

Answer 12

lens

Question 13

nerve cells/neurons responsible for detecting light

Answer 13

photoreceptors

Question 14

membrane in the back of the eye that houses photoreceptors

Answer 14

retina

Question 15

section of the retina that acts as a point of fixation

Answer 15

fovea

Question 16

carries information based on what you see to the brain

Answer 16

optic nerve

Question 17

where the optic nerve leaves the eye - where no sensory receptors are

Answer 17

blind spot

Question 18

for seeing black, white, and gray (shading)

Answer 18

rods

Question 19

for seeing color and clarity (details)

Answer 19

cones

Question 20

rods and cones feed information and activate

Answer 20

bipolar cells

Question 21

bipolar cells activate

Answer 21

ganglion cells

Question 22

made up on the axons of the ganglion cells

Answer 22

optic nerve

Question 23

the lens focuses the image in front of the fovea

Answer 23

nearsightedness

Question 24

lens focuses the image past the retina

Answer 24

farsightedness

Question 25

neurons in visual cortex that analyze the retinal image and respond to specific aspects of shapes (angles and movements)

Answer 25

feature detectors

Question 26

bar of light oriented at particular angle

Answer 26

simple cell

Question 27

theory that all color that we experience results from mixing three colors of light (red, green, blue)

Answer 27

trichromatic color theory

Question 28

color vision results from cones linked together in three pairs of opposing colors, so activation of one member of the pair inhibits activity of the other

Answer 28

opponent process theory

Question 29

weakness or deficiency in perception of certain colors

Answer 29

color blindness

Question 30

compare images from retinas of both eyes - greater disparity means object is closer (BC)

Answer 30

retinal disparity

Question 31

information about how much eyes must rotate inward to look at an object - more rotation means object is closer (BC)

Answer 31

binocular convergence

Question 32

depth cues that result from the cures of both eyes

Answer 32

binocular cues

Question 33

depth cues that are available to each eye separately

Answer 33

monocular cues

Question 34

parallel lines appear to converge as they get further away (MC)

Answer 34

linear perspective

Question 35

you can see more texture/detail on objects that are closer to you (MC)

Answer 35

texture gradient

Question 36

things that are further away from you will appear bluer in color (MC)

Answer 36

atmospheric perspective

Question 37

partially occluded/blocked objects appear to be further away (MC)

Answer 37

interposition

Question 38

perceiving objects as unchanging even as the image on the retina changes

Answer 38

perceptual constancy

Question 39

we tend to group things that are physically similar together

Answer 39

rule of similarity

Question 40

opt for the simplest explanation

Answer 40

rule of continuity

Question 41

things that are closer to each other tend to be grouped together

Answer 41

law of proximity

Question 42

we fill in boundaries/borders even when there’s none physically there

Answer 42

principle of closure

Question 43

organization of visual field into its objects (figures) and surroundings (ground)

Answer 43

figure-ground

Question 44

even though the size of the image on your retina changes, you perceive the object in the real world to be the same size

Answer 44

size constancy

Question 45

you understand that an object has a constant shape even though the shape falling on your retina does change

Answer 45

shape constancy

Question 46

objects seem to have the constant lightness even when illumination varies

Answer 46

lightness constancy

Question 47

amount of light an object reflects relative to its surroundings

Answer 47

relative luminance

Question 48

perceiving familiar objects as having constant color even when changing illumination alters reflected wavelengths

Answer 48

color constancy