chapter 5 Flashcards
sensation
The process of detecting environmental stimuli or stimuli arising from the body, responses to those stimuli and the transmission of responses to the brain
perception
The process of interpreting sensory information. - internal representation of stimuli
psychophysics
The study of relationships between the physical qualities of stimuli and the subjective responses they produce.
absolute threshold
The smallest amount of stimulus that can be detected.
difference threshold
The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli.
sensory adaptation
The tendency to pay less attention to a nonchanging source of stimulation.
audition
The sense of hearing.
agnosia
Loss of the ability to identify objects using one or more senses
binocular cue
A depth cue that requires the use of both eyes.
bottom up processing
Perception based on building simple input into more complex perceptions.
top down processing
A perceptual process in which memory and other cognitive processes are required for interpreting incoming sensory information.
cochlea
The structure in the inner ear that contains auditory receptors.
cone
A photoreceptor in the retina that processes colour and fine detail.
cornea
The clear surface at the front of the eye that begins the process of directing light to the retina.
depth perception
The ability to use the two-dimensional image projected on the retina to perceive three dimensions.
difference threshold
The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli.
fovea
An area of the retina that is specialized for highly detailed vision.
somatosensory homunculus
The body senses, including body position, touch, skin temperature, and pain.
mechanoreceptors
respond to mechanical distortion or pressure
nociceptors
gate control theory
The theory that suggests that input from touch fibres competes with input from pain receptors, possibly preventing pain messages from reaching the brain.
gustation
The sense of taste.
gestalt principles
iris
The brightly coloured circular muscle surrounding the pupil of the eye.
lens
The clear structure behind the pupil that bends light toward the retina.
monocular cue
A depth cue that requires the use of only one eye.
motion parallax
olfaction
The sense of smell.
olfactory bulb
One of two structures below the frontal lobes of the brain that receive input from the olfactory receptors in the nose.
-brain center for smell
olfactory nerve
A nerve carrying olfactory information from the olfactory receptors to the olfactory bulbs.
opponent process theory
A theory of colour vision that suggests we have a red-green colour channel and a blue-yellow colour channel in which activation of one colour in each pair inhibits the other colour.
optic nerve
The nerve exiting the retina of the eye.
pupil
An opening formed by the iris.
retina
Layers of visual processing cells in the back of the eye.
retinal disparity
The difference between the images projected onto each eye.
rod
A photoreceptor specialized to detect dim light.
taste bud
A structure found in papillae that contains taste receptor cells.
transduction
The translation of incoming sensory information into neural signals.
-process by which sensory receptors pass implses to connecting neurons when they receive stimulation
trichromatic theory
A theory of colour vision based on the existence of different types of cones for the detection of short, medium, and long wavelengths.
vestibular system
The system in the inner ear that provides information about body position and movement.
vision
The sense that allows us to process reflected light.
synesthesia
A condition where the stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to the simultaneous and automatic stimulation of another sensory pathway.
temporal path (ventral stream)
The “what” visual pathway that extends from the occipital lobe into the temporal lobe.
parietal path (dorsal stream)
The “where” visual pathway that extends from the occipital lobe into the parietal lobe.
split brain
contralateral organization
left hand and right hemisphere
right hand and left hemisphere
signal detection theory
The analysis of sensory and decision-making processes in the detection of faint, uncertain stimuli.
