Mods 16-21 Flashcards
Sensation
the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system recieve and represent stimulus energies from our environment
Perception
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
Selective Attention
the focusing of conscious awareness on particular stimulus
Transduction
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.
Signal Detection Theory
a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation
Weber’s Law
the principle that, to be percieved as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)
Perception Set
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another (expectations of certain results)
Hue
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth
Intensity
the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude
Fovea
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster
Trichromatic Theory (Young-Helmholtz)
the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors - one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue - which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of color
Opponent Process Theory
the theory that oppposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green
Gestalt
the organized whole; emphasizes our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
Monocular Cues
a depth cue that requires the use of one eye
Phi Phenomenon
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
Perceptual Adaptation
the ability to adjust to changed sensory input, including an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
Audition
the sense or act of hearing
Amplitude
determains the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we percieve as brightness or loudness
Frequency
the nuber of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
Cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses
Sensorineural Deafness
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s recepter cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness
Conduction Hearing Loss
a less common form of hearing loss, caused by damage to the mechanical system tham conducts sound waves to the cochlea
Place Theory
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated
Frequency Theory
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impluses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch
Gate-Control Theory
the theory that the spinal cord that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain: unblocked by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is blocked by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain
Bottom-Up Processing
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information
Top-Down Processing
information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
Sensory Adaptation
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of contant stimulation
Inattentional Blindness
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
Change Blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment (form of inattentional blindness)
Absolute Threshold
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
Difference Threshold
the minimum difference betweeen two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time
Factors in Perception
Context / Emotion / Motivation
Retina
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
Accommodation
the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
Rods
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond
Cones
retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in the daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations
Feature Detectors
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement
Parallel Processing
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision
Binocular Cues
a depth cue that requires the use of both eyes
Retinal Disparity
the binocular cue for perceiving depth by comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance- the greater the disparity (difference) between the 2 images, the closer the object
Touch
Warmth, Pressure, Cold, Pain
Taste
Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, Umani
Sensory Interaction
the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
Kinesthesia Sense
our movement sense (system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts)
Vestibular Sense
our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance
