Chapter 6 - Sensation And Perspection Flashcards
Prosopagnosia
Face blindness - unable to recognize people even people of your own family
Phonagnosia
Voice blind - an inability to recognize familiar voices
Sensation
The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
Perception
The process of organizing and interpreting sensory info, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.
Bottom up processing
Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brains integration of sensory information
Top down processing
Information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
All our senses…
- receive sensory stimulation often using specialized receptor cells
- transform that stimulation into neural impulses
- deliver the neutral info to our brain
Transduction
Conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sight into neural impulses our brain can interpret
Psychophysics
The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity and our psychological experience of them
Absolute threshold
The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
Signal detection theory
Predicts how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a persons experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness
Subliminal
Below ones absolute threshold for conscious awareness
Priming
The activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing ones perception, memory, or response.
Difference threshold
The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference (jnd).
Webers law
The principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage rather than a constant amount
Sensory adaptation
Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation. For example getting used to a familiar smell. This can happen with sight as well.
Perceptual set
A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another. It can affect what we hear, taste, feel and see. Context effects: a given stimulus may trigger radically different perceptions, partly because of our differing perceptual set, but also because of immediate context.
Wavelength
The distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next
Hue
The dimension of colour that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the colours blue, green, and so on.
Intensity
The amount of energy in a light wave or sound wave, which influences what we perceive as brightness or loud ness. Intensity is determined by the waves amplitude (height).
Frequency
The number of complete wave lengths that can pass a point in a given time; depends on wavelength. Shorter wavelength = higher frequency
Pupil
The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
Iris
A ring of muscle tissue that forms the coloured portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening. It dilates or constricts in response to light intensity. It also responds to our cognitive and emotional states. Pupils constrict when you are about to say no or feel disgust.
Lens
The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
Retina
The light sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons (bipolar, ganglion cells) that begin the processing of visual info
Accommodation
The process by which the eyes lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
Rods
Retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond. Rods are all over the eye
Cones
Retina, receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina (fovea) and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to colour sensation.
Optic nerve
The nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain. “Info highway” to the brain, where your thalamus stands ready to distribute the info it receives from your eyes
Blind spot
The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a blind spot because no receptor cells are located there
Fovea
The central focus point in the retina, around which the eyes cones cluster
Far sightedness
A condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the image of near objects is focused behind the retina
Young-helmholtz three colour theory
The theory that the retina contains three different colour receptors– one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue- which combined can produce the perception of any colour. We see other colours when light stimulates two colour cones together
Nearsightedness
A condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because distant objects focus in the front of the retina
Herings opponent-process theory
The theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable colour vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red and vice versa
Acuity
Sharpness of vision
Feature detectors
Nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle or movement
Audition
The sense of hearing
Gestalt
An organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of info to meaningful wholes
Figure ground
The organization of the visual fields into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground).
Grouping
The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
Proximity
We group nearby figures together. We see not six separate lines but three sets of two lines
Continuity
We perceive smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones. This pattern could be a series of alternating semi circles, but we perceive it as two continuous lines - one wavy, one straight
Closure
We fill in gaps to create a complete whole object
Depth perception
The ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two dimensional; allows us to judge distance
Visual cliff
A laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
Binocular cues
Depth cues, such as retina, disparity and convergence, that depend on the use of two eyes
Retinal disparity
A binocular cue for perceiving depth; by comparing images from the two eyes, the brain computes distance - the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object
Monocular cues
Depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone
Phi phenomenon
An illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink in and off in quick succession
Perceptual constancy
Perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent colour, brightness, shape, and size) even as illumination and retinal images change.
Colour constancy
Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent colour, even if changing illumination alters the wave lengths reflected by the objects
Perceptual adaptation
In vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
Pitch
A tones experienced highness or lowness. Depends on frequency.
Middle ear
The chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window
Cochlea
A coiled, bony, fluid filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses
Inner ear
The inner most part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.
Sensorineural hearing loss
The most common form of hearing loss, also called nerve deafness; caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves
Conduction hearing loss
Less common, caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to he cochlea
Cochlear implant
A device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
Place theory
In hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated. Explains how we hear his pitches (but, not low).
Frequency theory
In hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of the tone, thus enabling us to sense it’s pitch. (Low pitches)
Promotes weight gain in premature babies
Massage
Nociceptors
Sensory receptors that enable the perception of pain in response to potentially harmful stimuli
Gate control theory
Melzack and walls theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks or allows pain signals to pass on to the brain
Hypnosis
A social interaction in which one person suggests to another that certain perceptions, feelings, thoughts, or behaviours will spontaneously occur
Dissociation
A split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviours to occur simultaneously with others
Post hypnotic suggestion
Suggestion made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviours
Kinesthesia
The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
Vestibular sense
The sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance.
Sensory interaction
The principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
Embodied cognition
In psychological science, the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgements
Extra sensory perception (ESP)
The controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
Parapsychology
The study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis
