Chp 5: Perception

Question 1

Perception

Answer 1

The way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced

Question 2

Gate control theory

Answer 2

Theory that pain signals are sent along the spinal cord and gates open up to where this pain goes to
Steps
1)Pain experience is interpreted by brain which sends down the spinal cord
2) Different gates are opened along the spinal cord
Open pain gateways → pain experienced or intensified
Closed pain gateways → pain reduced
- Pain pathway becomes more responsive through sensitization
- Not in our control; does not have to do with pain tolerance, has to do with fibers

Question 3

Bottom up processing

Answer 3

The brain builds up to come to a conclusion, where receptors get information from the body to the brain. Example: Reading a letter, process each letter → process each word → comprehending sentences

Question 4

Top-down processing

Answer 4

The brain fills in the rest to come to a conclusion, allows for a possible theory to be made without the need to analyze every feature of the stimulus.

Question 5

Absolute threshold

Answer 5

-The smallest amount of stimulus that can be detected, at least half the time
Example: How clear and dark it can be for our eyes sensitive sensory cells to detect a candle flame from 30 miles away

Question 6

Extrasensory perception (ESP)

Answer 6

Sensing things before they happen or before your told parapsychology
-Paranormal claims

Question 7

Gestalt psychology

Answer 7

Founded by Max Wertheimer
(Gestalt psychology: The brain creates a perception that is more than simply the sum of available sensory inputs, and it does so in predictable ways)
-The brain creates a perception that is more than simply the sum of available sensory inputs, and it does so in
predictable ways. Gestalt psychologists translated these predictable ways into principles by which we organize
sensory information
-Empathized that humans perceived whole objects or figures rather than isolated bits & pieces of sensory information
-Although a sensory experience can be broken down into individual parts, how those parts relate to each other as a whole is often what the individual responds to in perception

Question 8

Figure-ground relationship

Answer 8

We tend to segment our visual world into figure and ground

Question 9

Law of proximity

Answer 9

That things that are close to one another tend to be grouped together

Question 10

Law of similarity

Answer 10

Things that are alike tend to be grouped together

Question 11

Law of continuity (or good continuation)

Answer 11

That we are more likely to perceive continuous, smooth flowing lines rather than jagged, broken lines

Question 12

Law of closure

Answer 12

We organize our perceptions into complete objects rather than as a series of parts

Question 13

Muller-Lyer illusion

Answer 13

Lines appear to be different lengths when they are the same

Question 14

Humans see things in …

Answer 14

… two dimensional view (2D)

Question 15

Monocular

Answer 15

One eye working in either left or right

Question 16

Binocular

Answer 16

Both eyes working comparing left and right

Question 17

3 approaches to perception

Answer 17

Computational, constructive, and ecological

Question 18

Computational approach

Answer 18

Focuses on the nervous systems manipulations of incoming signals

Question 19

Constructive approach

Answer 19

Focuses on the conclusions that people make about the environment

Question 20

Ecological approach

Answer 20

• Focuses on the information provided by the environment However, it is more interested in visual information from the person, desk, & every other object in the room to tell us about the environment itself
  -How are environment changes how we act
  -How to adapt