Chapter 6: Sensation and Perception Flashcards
Bottom-Up Processing
Analysis beginning with sensory receptors and works towards brain’s integration of info
Top-Down Processing
Processing guided by high-level mental processes, constructing Perceptions
Psychophysics
study of relationships between physical characteristics and our psychological experience of them
Absolute Threshold
level of stimulation for sensation to occur 50% of the time
Subliminal
below threshold of awareness perceiving ability
Priming
activation causing predisposition
Sensation
process of receiving raw information from enviroment
Adaptation
gradual loss of attention to unneeded or unwanted stimulation due to prolonged unchanged stimulus
Perception
process of organizing sensory information to be meaningful
Vision
The correct name for sight
White Light
light as originates from source before broken into frequencies
Color
is seen after white light hits objects and bounces at different speed or frequencies
Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory
mixing of blue/green/red can produce any color
Opponent-Process
color-sensitive visual elements are grouped into red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white elements
Afterimage
image that remains after stimulation of the retina has ended, unused cones start firing to balance
Cornea
clear outer covering fluid behind it
Iris
colored circular muscle, has control of amount of light
Lens
bends light rays, focuses an image on the retina
Accomodation
change shape and bend light to focus
Pupil
opening of the eye, changes size as the iris moves
Retina
back of the eye that absorbs light rays, contains millions of receptors
Rods
highly light-sensitive, color insensitive receptors, sensitive for night vision
Cones
visual receptor that responds to distinguish colors
Fovea
retina center where cones are highly concentrated
Acuity
visual clarity, greatest on fovea, want 20/20
Color Blindness
inability to perceive certain colors
Optic Nerve
place where all the nerve cells leave the eye
Blind Spot
portion of the retina through which the optic nerve exits
Vision is affected by
Shape of Eyes
Farsightedness
eye too short, only distant focused
Nearsightedness
eye too long, images fall short of the retina
Audition
uses sound waves to hear
Amplitude
difference between peak and baseline
Wavelength
distance between one peak to the next
Frequency
of complete waveforms that pass everysecond
Pitch
how high or low a tone is
Timbre
mixture of frequencies and amplitudes that make complexity of the tone
Intensity
loudness, measured in decibels
Eardrum
skin stretched tightly over entrance of inner ear
Cochlea
snail-shaped part filled with fluid that vibrates
Basilar Membrane
floor of the duct that runs through the cochlea
Hair Cells
Receptor cells
Cilia
hair like extensions
Auditory Nerve
bundle of nerves carrying sound to brain
Conduction deafness
outer/middle ear damage, bones fuse together, hearing aid
Nerve deafness
inner ear damage, usually nerve or hair cells, no cure but cochlear implant available
Cutaneous
Sense of touch
Cutaneous receptors
nerve receptors
Vestibular Sense
sense of movement and position, includes balance
Kinesthesis
bone, muscle, tendon, joint sensors give sense of where parts of body are in respect to one another
Gustation
Sense of Taste
Papillae
groupings of taste receptors
Five Senses of Taste
- Salt
- Sweet
- Sour
- Bitter
- Umami
Olfaction
ability to detect chemicals (Sense of Smell)
Olfactory Cilia
collects molecules of odor
Olfactory Bulbs
receive molecules communicate their nature to the brain
Smell Communication
taste and smell go together
Pheromones
Smell hormones
Smells of Pheromones
- Putrid
- Fruity
- Flowery
- Burnt
- Resinous
Perception
matter of interpretation and expectation
Figure-Ground
objects that stand out from surrounding
Proximity
closer together, perceived as belonging together
Similarity
similar elements perceived as part a group
Continuity
sensations that appear to create continuous form belong together
Closure
process of filling on the missing details of what is veiwed
Common Fate
sets moving in same direction and speed are perceived as together
Depth Perception
ability to see relation of objects in space
Binocular Cues
depth clues using both eyes
Retinal Disparity
differences between images provided by two retinas, brought together to provide depth
Texture Gradiant
how rough or smooth objects are
Monocular Cues
depth cues using single eye
Size Constancy
ability to retain size of an object regardless of location
Color Constancy
Ability to perceive an object as the same color regardless of enviroment
Brightness Constancy
ability to keep an object’s brightness constant as the object is moved to various enviroments
Shape Constancy
ability to perceive an object as having same shape regardless of angle
Space Sonstancy
ability to keep objects in the environment steady by perceiving either ourselves or outside objects as moving
Synchrony
stimuli at same time perceived as belonging together (i.e. a baseball and basketball)
Common Region
elements in same boundary grouped together (i.e. a bowl of fruit)
Connectedness
elements connected by other elements tend to be grouped together (i.e. Power Lines)
Illusions
inaccurate perceptions
Muller-Lyer Illusions
One line in a picture with two equal-length lines seems longer
Reversible Figure
same object is seen as two alternating figures
Learning-Interference
what you already know interferes with new task
