I have a fifth sense Flashcards
What is sensation?
The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
This definition highlights the initial stage of processing sensory information.
What is perception?
The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
This is the second stage of processing that follows sensation.
Define bottom-up processing.
Data-driven processing that begins with incoming sensory information and continues upward to the brain for interpretation
This method starts with the stimulus itself.
Define top-down processing.
Concept-driven processing that begins with the brain’s use of preexisting knowledge and expectations to interpret incoming sensory information
This method relies on prior knowledge.
What are the two types of photoreceptors in the retina?
- Cones
- Rods
Cones are responsible for color and detail, while rods are important for peripheral and dim light vision.
What does trichromatic theory state?
The retina contains three types of color receptors: red, blue, and green
This theory applies to the initial processing of color.
What does opponent-process theory propose?
There are three types of opponent-process cells: red/green, blue/yellow, and white/black
This theory explains color perception beyond the retina.
What is red-green color blindness caused by?
A recessive gene on the X chromosome
It is more common in males due to the inheritance pattern of the X chromosome.
What are binocular cues for depth perception?
- Retinal disparity
- Convergence
These cues depend on both eyes and are effective for nearby objects.
What are monocular cues for depth perception?
- Relative size
- Interposition
- Linear perspective
- Texture gradients
- Motion parallax
These cues depend on one eye and are useful for distant objects.
How does the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) define pain?
An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage
This definition emphasizes the subjective nature of pain.
What is gate control theory?
A theory that distinguishes between small unmyelinated fibers transmitting pain signals and larger myelinated fibers transmitting non-pain signals
It explains how pain signals can be modulated.
What is synesthesia?
A condition in which sensations in one sensory modality spontaneously trigger an associated sensation in another modality
Grapheme-color synesthesia is the most common type.
What is psychophysics?
The study of the relationship between the magnitude of physical stimuli and psychological sensations
It includes laws like Weber’s, Fechner’s, and Stevens’s power law.
What does Weber’s law predict?
The just noticeable difference (JND) for a stimulus is a constant proportion, regardless of the intensity of the original stimulus
This law applies only to some stimuli.
