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Unit 1 Psychology > Outcome 1 - What influences a person's perception of the world? > Flashcards

Outcome 1 - What influences a person's perception of the world? Flashcards

Students should be able to compare the sensations and perceptions of vision and taste, and analyse factors that may lead to the occurrence of perceptual distortions.

1
Q

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

What are the eight steps?

A
  1. Identify the area of research and form a research aim.
  2. Collect information.
  3. Identify the research question and formulate a hypothesis.
  4. Design a research method to test the hypothesis.
  5. Collect and analyse the data.
  6. Draw a conclusion: accept or reject the hypothesis.
  7. Report findings.
  8. Test the conclusion.
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2
Q

What is an Independent Variable?

A

The variable that is manipulated by the experimenter who then measures resulting changes in the dependent variable.
E.g. Eating carrots a day will improve your eyesight, the IV would be eating carrots or not eating carrots.

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3
Q

What is an Dependent Variable?

A

The property which is measured in psychological research, to look for effects of the independent variable.
E.g. Eating carrots a day will improve you eyesight, the DV would be accuracy of eyesight.

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4
Q

What does Operationalisation mean?

A

Means that the variable is stated in terms that show how it is measured. E.g. age - operationalised as age in total months or IQ - operationalised as the score on a 40-item multiple-choice test

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5
Q

What does a hypothesis always begin with?

A

It is predicted that…

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6
Q

How do you accurately write a hypothesis?

A

Example: It is predicted that for adult drivers in Melbourne, an increase in blood alcohol level will cause a decrease in reaction speed.

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7
Q

What is an extraneous variable?

A

A variable other than the IV that could cause changes in the value of the DV.

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8
Q

What is Sensation?

A

refers to the processing or sensing our environment through touch, taste, sight, sound and smell. This information is sent to our brains in raw form where perception comes into play.

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9
Q

What is Perception?

A

Is the way we interpret these sensations and therefore makes sense of everything around us.

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10
Q

What are the five primary tastes?

A
  • sweet
  • bitter
  • salty
  • sour
  • umami
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11
Q

What is Synaesthesia?

A

Concerns connections between the senses. The presentation of a stimulus from one sensory system automatically triggers a perception in a second sensory system. E.g. seeing a certain colour when hearing a sound, experiencing particular smells when hearing a word.

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12
Q

What is a visual illusion?

A

occurs when perception consistently differs from objective reality

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13
Q

What is the Ponzo Illusion?

A

When the upper horizontal line in each diagram is perceived to be longer than the lower horizontal line even though they are the same.

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14
Q

What is the Müller-Lyer Illusion?

A

Consists of two lines of equal length, each having opposite-shaped patterns on the ends. One line has a regular arrowheads and the other has inverted.

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15
Q

What is the Ames Room Illusion?

A

constructed in a trapezoidal shape, but is made to appear square when observed through a peephole.

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16
Q

What is Perceptual set?

A
  • a predisposition to perceive stimuli in a specific way

- a predisposition to attend to only certain features or aspects of our field of view

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17
Q

Factors that influence perceptual set (sight):

A
  • previous experience
  • context
  • motivation (if hungry, the sign FUEL AHEAD could look like FOOD AHEAD)
  • emotion (depending on how we feel ourselves, we may perceive someone as crying when laughing or laughing when crying)
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18
Q

Factors that influence taste perception:

A
  • genetics (sometimes it is a genetic thing if you dislike something)
  • age (newborns prefer sweet taste)
  • packaging and branding (vegemite tastes better than marmite
  • how you are brought up (culture)
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19
Q

PERCEPTUAL CONSTANCIES

Size:

A

refers to the fact that we maintain a constant perception of an object’s size, even though the size of the image on the retina alters as the object moves nearer or further from us. E.g looking a friend from a distance, we know that she is still the same size no matter where she is standing.

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20
Q

PERCEPTUAL CONSTANCIES

Shape:

A

refers to the fact that an object is perceived to maintain its known shape despite the changing perspective from which is observed. E.g. door opens, looks like a different shape when opened but we know its still rectangular.

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21
Q

GESALT PRICIPLES

Figure-ground:

A

figure and ground are separated by an imagined contour (line).

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22
Q

GESALT PRICIPLES

Closure:

A

occurs when we perceive an object as being a whole, despite it actually being incomplete.

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23
Q

GESALT PRICIPLES

Similarity:

A

is when the individual parts of a pattern are similar. E.g. in size shape or colour. We tend to group them together.

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24
Q

GESALT PRICIPLES

Proximity:

A

when the individual parts of the stimulus pattern are close to each other, we tend to group them as whole, rows or columns.

25
What is Depth Perception?
is the ability to accurately judge 3D space and distance, using cues in the environment.
26
BINOCULAR DEPTH CUES | Retinal disparity:
is a cue that comes about because our eyes are set about 6-7 cm apart. When an object is within about 20 m of a viewer, each eye receives a slightly different image on the retina.
27
BINOCULAR DEPTH CUES | Convergence:
as an object comes closer to us, our eyes turn inwards to keep the object centred on the retina.
28
MONOCULAR DEPTH CUES | Accommodation:
involves the lens of the eye changing shape so that it can focus light rays onto the retina.
29
PICTORIAL DEPTH CUES | Linear perspective:
parallel lines are made to converge as the extend along the page to an imaginary point at the horizon.
30
PICTORIAL DEPTH CUES | Interposition:
based on the partial blocking or obscuring of one object by another.
31
PICTORIAL DEPTH CUES | Texture gradient:
is used to make surfaces in a picture appear to recede into the distance.
32
PICTORIAL DEPTH CUES | Relative size:
is based on our tendency to perceive the object producing the largest retinal image as being the nearest then the one producing the smallest retinal image.
33
PICTORIAL DEPTH CUES | Height in the visual field:
shows depth by portraying objects further away as being closer to the horizon.
34
PROCESS OF SENSATION taste
- Reception: stimulus energy is collected by the sense organ - Transduction: stimulus energy is converted by the receptor cells into electrochemical nerve impulses - Transmission: the receptor cells send the nerve impulses to the primary sensory cortex where specialised receptor cells respond as the process of perception begins
35
What does Process of Sensation start with? taste
R T (DUC) T (MIS)
36
PROCESS OF PERCEPTION tatse
Selection: pick out the ones that are important to us Organisation: when information reaches brain it is reorganised so that we can make sense of it Interpretation: past experiences, motives, values and context are involved where the stimulus is given meaning
37
What does Process of Perception start with? taste
S (elc) O (anise) I (terpre)
38
PROCESS OF SENSATION sight
Reception: light enters the eye through the cornea, then through the pupil and then the lens focuses the light on the retina. Transduction: Light energy is converted by the rods and cones into electrochemical nerve impulses Transmission: rods and cones send the nerve impulses along the optic nerve to the primary visual cortex at the very back of the brain.
39
PROCESS OF PERCEPTION sight
Selection: the image is broken up by cells called feature detectors. Organisation: our visual cortex in the brain recorganises information so that we can make sense of it. Interpretation: visual stimulus is given meaning
40
What are rods?
- light-sensitive cell - responsible for vision in low light - peripheral vision - edges of retina
41
What are cones?
- light-sensitive cell - responsible for colour vision - vision in detail - middle of retina
42
What are taste buds?
- located in mouth and throat - each contains between 50 and 150 taste receptor cells - each taste-cell only lives 10 days
43
Psychological factors that influence perception?
- education or culture - food packaging or appearance - selection of taste (experience) - interpretation of taste
44
Difference between taste and flavour?
The terms taste and flavour are often confused. 'Taste' refers specifically to the five basic tastes that we perceive in our mouth. Taste is one part of flavour. 'Flavour', on the other hand, is the whole package: the combination of taste, odour and chemical sensations.
45
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Retina:
- layer of light sensitive cell at the back of eye detects images focused by the cornea and lens
46
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Sclera:
- thick tough white outer covering of the eye
47
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Tapetum:
- colourful shiny material found in animals for good night vision
48
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Blind spot:
- place where optic nerve leaves retina, each eye has a blind spot
49
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Optic nerve:
- bundle of nerve fibres that carry information
50
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Vitreous humour:
- thick, clear jelly gives the eye shape
51
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Lens:
- makes an image on the retina | - its flexible so it can change shape
52
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Aqueous humour:
- clear fluid that helps the cornea keep its rounded shape
53
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Pupil:
- dark circle in the centre of the iris and lets light into the inner eye
54
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Iris:
- controls how much light enters | - comes in many colours for humans
55
THE EYE AND ITS FUNCTIONS | Cornea:
- covering the iris and pupil that helps protect the eye | - light bends passing through
56
SAMPLING METHODS | Random:
- every member has an equal chance of being selected
57
SAMPLING METHODS | Stratified:
- dividing population into categories | - then selecting random in proportions equivalent to population
58
SAMPLING METHODS | Convenience:
- picking whoever is available at the time

Unit 1 Psychology (3 decks)

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