Perception Flashcards
What is Perception
Making ‘sense’ of what our senses tell us. The active process or organising stimulus input and giving it meaning.
What is sensation?
The stimulus detection process by which our sense organs respond to and translate environmental stimuli into nerve impulses, then sent to the brain.
What is transduction?
The process of characteristics of stimulus being changed into impulses.
What is Psychophysics?
The study of relations between physical characteristics of stimuli and sensory capabilities.
What are the limits of sensitivity?
The most, or least, stimuli that a human can detect.
Differences between stimuli
The smallest difference between two stimuli that we can detect. Eg. Different shades of a colour or different brightnesses of light.
What is the absolute threshold?
The lowest intensity a stimuli can be detected at.
What is Subliminal Stimuli?
Very weak stimuli that do not register in awareness.
What is Decision Criteria?
The standard a person sets for themselves about how certain they are that a stimuli is present before they’ll admit that it’s there.
What is signal-detection theory?
Factors that influence sensory judgements
What is Difference Threshold?
The smallest difference between two stimuli that people can perceive 50% of the time.
What is Difference Threshold also known as?
Just Noticeable Difference (JND)
What is the Vestibular system used for?
Processing of optic-flow motion signals and sense of balance.
What is the Vestibular system?
Part of the middle ear and consists of fluid-filled chambers. Responds to inertial forces produced by speed and direction changes.
What are optic-flow signals?
Patterns of motion that images on eyes undergo as we move through the world. Also helps with balance, such as standing on one leg with eyes open.