III. Sensation and Perception Flashcards
Cornea
Layer that covers and protects the eye.
Pupil
Center of the eye where light enters.
Iris
Colored muscles surrounding the eye, it determines the amount of light entering the eye as it expands or contracts the pupil.
Lens
Behind the pupil, reflects the light waves to the back of the eye.
eye
Accommodation
Adjusting the focus of the eyes to certain areas and objects.
Transduction
The process in which light waves/sound waves transform into neural impulses.
Retina
Back of the eye where transduction takes place.
Rods
Process black and white.
Cones
Process colors. Cones = Color.
Optic nerve
Sends messages from the eye to the brain, specifically the occipital lobe.
Blind spot
The point at which the optic nerve leaves the retina and processes into the brain. (Occurs when the eye blinks).
Fovea
Center of the retina, containing the highest concentration of cones.
Wavelength
Length of waves that determine the color. Longer wavelengths are red, whereas shorter wavelengths are blue.
Hue
Dimension of color.
Intensity
The quantitative value of stimulus or sensation.
Outer ear
Transmits sound waves into the ear.
Pinna
Relays sound waves into the auditory canal.
Auditory canal
Processes the sound waves into the middle ear.
Middle ear
Processes the auditory information through the ossicles.
Tympanic membrane
Separates the outer ear from the middle ear.
Ossicles(Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup)
Amplify sound waves and transmit them to the inner ear.
Inner ear
Transforms sound waves into neural impulses.
Cochlea
Converts sound waves into neural impulses.
Basilar membrane
Bends hair cells in the Cochlea and processes vibrations.
Auditory nerve
Neural impulses are transmitted from the ear to the brain, specifically the temporal lobe.
Audition
Sense of hearing.
Frequency
The number of waves in a period of time.
Pitch
Intensity of sound. Amplitude of waves determines the loudness.
Sensorineural hearing loss
Damage to the hair cells, thus preventing transduction. It results in deafness and is more common. Fortunately, the hair cells can regrow.
Conduction hearing loss
Damage done to ossicles, preventing sound waves from transferring into the inner ear. Unfortunately, the ossicles can not be regenerated.
Cochlear implant
Electronic hearing device, stimulating nerves in the inner ear. It aids individuals experiencing deafness.
Signal detection theory
Predicts when an individual will detect weak signals. (Hit, Miss, False Alarm, Correct Rejection).
Absolute threshold
The level of stimulation required to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.
Subliminal
Below the threshold for consciousness.
Priming
The activation, often unconscious, of certain associations.
Difference threshold
The smallest amount of distinction between two stimuli required to detect a difference.
Weber’s Law
Demonstrates that it is difficult to detect a difference with high stimulus intensity, whereas, it is easier to detect a difference with a low stimulus intensity.
Bottom up processing
The idea that sensory information influences thinking in an unfamiliar environment. Sensation over perception.
Top down processing
The idea that an individual brings prior knowledge to an environment/situation they are familiar with. Perception over sensation.
Selective attention
The process of focusing on one particular situation or object.
Inattentional blindness
Failing to notice changes in the environment as an individual has their selective attention focused elsewhere.
Sensory adaptation
No longer feeling the effects of a certain stimulus—an individual has adjusted to the incoming stimuli.
Perceptual set
A predisposition to perceive things a certain way. While noticing some details, an individual might leave others out.
Feature detectors
Cells(retinal ganglion) that process information in the brain, specifically the occipital lobe.
Parallel processing
The ability to process multiple stimuli simultaneously.
Trichromatic theory
The idea that there are only three colors: red, green, and blue. They mix together to create other colors.
Opponent-process theory
The idea that when one color is stimulated, another color is inhibited.
Gestalt
An organized whole.
Figure-ground
The tendency to perceive the main object as the figure, and the rest as the ground.
Grouping
Perceiving items as one united object or situation.
Depth perception
The ability to perceive the world in 3-D
