Chapter 5: Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

The perception of a physical stimulus and the transmission of that information to the brain

Question 2

Perception

Answer 2

The further processing, organisation, and interpretation of sensory information by the brain

It creates a conscious view of the world and relates stimuli to the meaning of those stimuli

Question 3

What is bottom up processing?

Answer 3

Based on the physical properties of the stimuli

Question 4

What is top down processing?

Answer 4

About how existing knowledge and expectations influence the interpretation of sensory experiences

Question 5

What is sensory coding?

Answer 5

Our sensory system translates the stimuli into patterns of neural impulses

Question 6

What is transduction

Answer 6

The term for this translation of stimuli

Question 7

What specialised cells are needed for transduction?

Answer 7

Sensory receptors

Question 8

What do sensory receptors do?

Answer 8

Receive physical or chemical stimulation and then transmit impulses to the brain

Most of the sensory information passes through the thalamus to a specific area of the cerebral cortex

Question 9

What are the 2 types of information that the brain receives?

Answer 9

Qualitative

Quantitative

Question 10

What is the qualitative information about a stimulus?

Answer 10

Refers to the basic properties of the stimulus (the difference between sight and hearing)

Question 11

What is the quantitative information about a stimulus?

Answer 11

Refers to the degree or strength of the stimulus (the difference between hot and cold)

Question 12

How are the quantitative properties recognised?

Answer 12

By the rate of firing of a particular neuron

If the firing of a particular neuron is faster it means that the stimulus is more intense

Question 13

How is sensory information detected?

Answer 13

Needs to reach a certain threshold

Question 14

What is absolute threshold?

Answer 14

The minimum intensity of the stimulus required before it is experienced

Question 15

What is the difference threshold?

Answer 15

The smallest difference between two stimuli that can be perceived

Question 16

What does Weber’s law state?

Answer 16

States that the smallest difference a person can perceive between two stimuli is based on the original stimulus and not on a fixed number

Question 17

What happens when the stimulus is stronger based on Weber’s law?

Answer 17

The stronger the stimulus, the greater the difference must be to notice it

Question 18

What does the signal recognition theory state?

Answer 18

States that detecting a stimulus is not an objective process

Question 19

What are the two components of detecting a stimulus?

Answer 19

Sensitivity to the stimulus in the presence of distraction form other stimuli

The criteria used to form a judgment from ambiguous information

Question 20

What is sensory adaptation?

Answer 20

The reduction fo sensitivity to a constant level of stimulation

Question 21

Example of sensory adaptation

Answer 21

No longer noticing the traffic that constantly drives by your bedroom

Question 22

Synesthesia

Answer 22

The combined experience of, for example, taste with colour

Question 23

Where does the light enter the eye?

Answer 23

The cornea

Question 24

What is the pupil (eye)

Answer 24

A narrow opening at the front of the eye

The contraction or dilation of the pupil determines how much light enters the eye

Question 25

What is the iris?

Answer 25

A circular muscle which determines the colour of the eye and regulates the size of the pupil

Question 26

When does the pupil dilate?

Answer 26

When the light is weak or when we see something we like

Question 27

What is accommodation for the eye?

Answer 27

Behind the iris, muscles change the shape of the lens

The lens is flattened to focus on distant objects and thickened to focus on closer objects

Question 28

What is the retina?

Answer 28

Once the light has passed through the lens, an image forms on the retina, the thin surface at the back of the eye

The retina is the only part of the central nervous system that is visible from the outside

The retina contains sensory receptors that convert light into neural signals

Question 29

What are the 2 receptors on the retina?

Answer 29

Rods

Cones

Question 30

Rods

Answer 30

Respond to very low levels of light and are responsible for the night vision

The rods are not good at distinguishing colours and recognising small details

Question 31

Cones

Answer 31

Are responsible for vision under bright conditions and for seeing colour and detail

Question 32

Fovea

Answer 32

In the retina, the cones are close together in an area