Chapter 5: Sensations

Question 1

absolute threshold

Answer 1

the smallest amount of stimulus that can be detected

Question 2

audition

Answer 2

the sense of hearing

Question 3

auditory nerve

Answer 3

nerve carrying sound information from the cochlea to the brain

Question 4

basilar membrane

Answer 4

the membrane of the cochlea where the organ of Corti is located

Question 5

binocular cues

Answer 5

a depth cue that requires the use of both eyes

Question 6

bottom-up processing

Answer 6

perception based on building simple input into more complex perceptions

Question 7

cochlea

Answer 7

the structure in the inner ear that contains auditory receptors

Question 8

cones

Answer 8

a photoreceptor in the retina that processes colour and fine detail

Question 9

cornea

Answer 9

the clear surface at the front of the eye that begins the process of directing light to the retina

Question 10

depth perception

Answer 10

the ability to use the two-dimensional image projected on the retina to perceive three dimensions

Question 11

difference threshold

Answer 11

the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli

Question 12

dorsal stream

Answer 12

• the “where” visual pathway
• extends from the occipital lobe into the parietal lobe

Question 13

fovea

Answer 13

• an area of the retina
• specialized for highly detailed vision

Question 14

gate control theory

Answer 14

theory that suggests input from touch fibers competes with input from pain receptors, possibly preventing pain messages from reaching the brain

Question 15

gustation

Answer 15

the sense of taste

Question 16

iris

Answer 16

the brightly coloured circular muscle surrounding the pupil of the eye

Question 17

lens

Answer 17

• the clear structure behind the pupil
• bends light toward the retina

Question 18

monocular cues

Answer 18

a dept cue that requires the use of only one eye

Question 19

olfaction

Answer 19

the sense of smell

Question 20

olfactory bulbs

Answer 20

• one of two structures below the frontal lobes of the brain
• receive input from the olfactory receptors in the nose

Question 21

olfactory nerve

Answer 21

a nerve carrying olfactory info from the olfactory receptors to the bulbs

Question 22

opponent process theory

Answer 22

a theory of colour vision
- suggests two main colour channels: red-green and blue-yellow
- activation of one color channel in each pair inhibits the other colour

Question 23

optic nerve

Answer 23

the nerve of exiting the retina of the eye

Question 24

optic tracts

Answer 24

nerve pathways travelling from the optic chiasm to the thalamus, hypothalamus, and midbrain

Question 25

organ of Corti

Answer 25

• a structure located on the basilar membrane
• contains auditory receptors

Question 26

papillae

Answer 26

small bumps on the tongue that contain taste buds

Question 27

perception

Answer 27

the process of interpreting sensory information

Question 28

psychophysics

Answer 28

the study of relationships between the physical qualities of stimuli and the subjective responses they produce

Question 29

pupil

Answer 29

an opening formed by the iris

Question 30

retina

Answer 30

layers of visual processing cels in the back of the eye

Question 31

retinal disparity

Answer 31

the difference between the images projected onto each eye

Question 32

rods

Answer 32

a photoreceptor specialized to detect dim light

Question 33

sensation

Answer 33

the process of detecting environmental stimuli arising from the body

Question 34

sensory adaptation

Answer 34

the tendency to pay less attention to a nonchanging source of stimulation

Question 35

signal detection

Answer 35

the analysis of sensory and decision-making processes in the detection of faint, uncertain stimuli

Question 36

somatosensation

Answer 36

the body senses, including body position, skin temperature, and pain

Question 37

synesthesia

Answer 37

a condition where the stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to the stimulation of another

Question 38

taste buds

Answer 38

a structure found in the papillae that contains taste receptor cells

Question 39

top-down processing

Answer 39

• a perceptual process
• memory and other cognitive processes are required for interpreting incoming sensory info

Question 40

transduction

Answer 40

the translation of incoming sensory information into neural signals

Question 41

trichromatic theory

Answer 41

• a theory of colour vision
• based on the existence of different types of cones for the detection of short, medium, and long wavelengths

Question 42

ventral stream

Answer 42

• the “what” visual pathway
• extends from the occipital lobe onto the temporal lobe

Question 43

vestibular system

Answer 43

• a system in the inner ear
• provides information about body position and movement

Question 44

vision

Answer 44

the sense that allows us to process reflected light