Key Terms 4 Flashcards
binocular cues
visual input from two eyes, which allows perception of depth or distance
blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, which contains no receptor cells for vision- thus creating a “blind spot”
bottom-up processing
information processing that starts at the “bottom” with an analysis of smaller features, and then builds on them to create complete perceptions; data-driven processing that moves from the parts to the whole
cochlea
the fluid-filled, coiled tube in the inner ear that contains the receptors for hearing
conduction hearing loss
a type of hearing loss that results from damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea; also called conduction deafness
cones
retinal receptor cells with high sensitivity to color and detail, but low sensitivity in dim light
depth perception
the ability to perceive three-dimensional space and to accurately judge distance
feature detectors
neurons in the brain’s visual system that respond to specific characteristics of stimuli, such as shape, angle, or movement
fovea
a tiny pit in the center of the retina that is densely filled with cones; it is responsible for sharp vision
frequency theory for hearing
the theory that pitch perception depends on how often the auditory nerve fires
illusion
a false or misleading perception shared by others in the same perceptual environment
inner ear
the semicircular canals, vestibular sacs, and cochlea, which generate neural signals that are sent to the brain
kinesthesis
the sense that provides information about the location, orientation, and movement of individual body parts relative to each other; receptors are located in muscles, joints, and tendons
middle ear
the hammer, anvil, and stirrup structures of the ear, which concentrate eardrum vibrations onto the cochlea’s oval window
monocular cues
visual input from a single eye alone that contributes to perception of depth or distance
opponent-process theory of color
the theory that all color perception is based on three systems, each of which contains two color opposites (red vs green, blue vs yellow, and black vs white)
perception
the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information into meaningful objects and events
perceptual constancy
the tendency to perceive the environment as stable, despite changes in the sensory input
perceptual set
the readiness to perceive in a particular manner, based on expectations
place theory for hearing
the theory that pitch perception is linked to the particular spot on the cochlea’s basilar membrane that is most stimulated
retina
the light-sensitive inner surface of the back of the eye, which contains the receptor cells for vision (rods and cones)
rods
retinal receptor cells with high sensitivity in dim light, but low sensitivity to details and color
selective attention
the process of focusing conscious awareness onto a specific stimulus, while filtering out a range of other stimuli occurring simultaneously
sensation
the process of detecting, converting, and transmitting raw sensory information from the external and internal environments to the brain
sensorineural hearing loss
a type of hearing loss resulting from damage to the cochlea’s receptor (hair) hearing cells or to the auditory nerve; also called nerve deafness
sensory adaptation
the sensory receptors’ innate tendency to fatigue and stop responding to unchanging stimuli; an example of bottom-up processing
top-down processing
information processing that starts at the top with higher level analysis(prior knowledge and expectations), and then works “down” to recognize individual features as a unified whole; conceptually driven processing that moves from the whole to the parts
transduction
the process of converting sensory stimuli into neural impulses that are sent along to the brain (for example, transforming light waves into neural impulses)
trichromatic theory of color
the theory that color perception results from three types of cones in the retina, each most sensitive to either red, green, or blue; other colors result from a mixture of these three
vestibular sense
the sense that provides information about balance and movement; receptors are located in the inner ear
amplitude
the maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, measured from the position of equilibrium
chemical senses
The chemical senses are the senses of smell (olfaction) and taste (gustation). Smell is a distant chemical sense, providing information about the chemical composition of substances before you come into the direct contact with them
closure
Gestalt psychologists believe that the brain tends to perceive forms and figures in their complete appearance despite the absence of one or more of their parts, either hidden or totally absent.
decibels
a unit used to measure the intensity of a sound or the power level of an electrical signal by comparing it with a given level on a logarithmic scale
figure-ground
relating to or denoting the perception of images by the distinction of objects from a background from which they appear to stand out, especially in contexts where this distinction is ambiguous
pitch
the quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone.
umami
a category of taste in food (besides sweet, sour, salt, and bitter), corresponding to the flavor of glutamates, especially monosodium glutamate.
wave length(color)
The visible colors from shortest to longest wavelength are: violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Ultraviolet radiation has a shorter wavelength than the visible violet light. Infrared radiation has a longer wavelength than visible red light. The white light is a mixture of the colors of the visible spectrum
gestalt principles
set of principles in psychology, first proposed by Gestalt psychologists to account for the observation that humans naturally perceive objects as organized patterns and objects, a principle known as Prägnanz.
receptors
an organ or cell able to respond to light, heat, or other external stimulus and transmit a signal to a sensory nerve.
negative afterimage
a visual afterimage in which light portions of the original sensation are replaced by dark portions and dark portions are replaced by light portions
