Chapter Five : Part One Flashcards
the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
sensation
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
perception
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information
bottom-up processing
information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
top-down processing
complete sensation but incomplete perception; able to sense visual information, yet unable to recognize it
prosopagnosia
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
psychophysics
the minimum stimulation needed t detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
absolute threshold
a theory predicting 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 person’s experience, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue
signal detection theory
below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness
subliminal
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response
priming
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time; we experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference
difference threshold
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage, rather than a constant amount
Weber’s Law
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
sensory adaptation
conversion of one form of energy into another; in sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret
transduction
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next; electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmission
wavelength
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names - red, orange yellow, green, blue, purple, etc.
hue
the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude
intensity
the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
pupil
a ring of muscles tissue that forms the colored portion of the eyes around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
iris
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus near or far objects on the retina
lens
the process by which the eye’s lens change shape to focus near or far objects in the retina
accommodation
the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
retina
the sharpness of vison
acuity
a condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because distant objects focus in front of the retina
nearsightedness
a condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the image of near objects is focused behind the retina
farsightedness
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond
rods
retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions; detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations
cones
