Chapter 5: Sensations Flashcards
absolute threshold
the smallest amount of stimulus that can be detected
audition
the sense of hearing
auditory nerve
nerve carrying sound information from the cochlea to the brain
basilar membrane
the membrane of the cochlea where the organ of Corti is located
binocular cues
a depth cue that requires the use of both eyes
bottom-up processing
perception based on building simple input into more complex perceptions
cochlea
the structure in the inner ear that contains auditory receptors
cones
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
dorsal stream
- the “where” visual pathway
- extends from the occipital lobe into the parietal lobe
fovea
- an area of the retina
- specialized for highly detailed vision
gate control theory
theory that suggests input from touch fibers competes with input from pain receptors, possibly preventing pain messages from reaching the brain
gustation
the sense of taste
iris
the brightly coloured circular muscle surrounding the pupil of the eye
lens
- the clear structure behind the pupil
- bends light toward the retina
monocular cues
a dept cue that requires the use of only one eye
olfaction
the sense of smell
olfactory bulbs
- one of two structures below the frontal lobes of the brain
- receive input from the olfactory receptors in the nose
olfactory nerve
a nerve carrying olfactory info from the olfactory receptors to the bulbs
opponent process theory
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
optic nerve
the nerve of exiting the retina of the eye
optic tracts
nerve pathways travelling from the optic chiasm to the thalamus, hypothalamus, and midbrain
organ of Corti
- a structure located on the basilar membrane
- contains auditory receptors
papillae
small bumps on the tongue that contain taste buds
perception
the process of interpreting sensory information
psychophysics
the study of relationships between the physical qualities of stimuli and the subjective responses they produce
pupil
an opening formed by the iris
retina
layers of visual processing cels in the back of the eye
retinal disparity
the difference between the images projected onto each eye
rods
a photoreceptor specialized to detect dim light
sensation
the process of detecting environmental stimuli arising from the body
sensory adaptation
the tendency to pay less attention to a nonchanging source of stimulation
signal detection
the analysis of sensory and decision-making processes in the detection of faint, uncertain stimuli
somatosensation
the body senses, including body position, skin temperature, and pain
synesthesia
a condition where the stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to the stimulation of another
taste buds
a structure found in the papillae that contains taste receptor cells
top-down processing
- a perceptual process
- memory and other cognitive processes are required for interpreting incoming sensory info
transduction
the translation of incoming sensory information into neural signals
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
ventral stream
- the “what” visual pathway
- extends from the occipital lobe onto the temporal lobe
vestibular system
- a system in the inner ear
- provides information about body position and movement
vision
the sense that allows us to process reflected light
