Psych 1001 Chapter 4-6 Flashcards
Types of Thresholds
Absolute Threshold, Just Noticeable Difference
Single-Detection Theory
It’s a mixture of sensory processes and the decision processes.
Subliminal perception
Sensory input that falls beneath our conscious awareness. Possible but has weak/short lived effect on behavior.
Sensory Adaptation
Long term exposure that leads to a decline in sensitivity and no longer feel the effects.
Three Properties of Light
- Amplitude: Brightness
- Wavelength: Color
- Purity: Saturation
Eye structures in the Retina
- Retina: Absorbs light, processes images and sends information.
- Visual receptor cells / Rods - Black and white + Peripheral and Cones + color + center
- Optic Disk - Nerve leaves the eye.
- Fovea: Tiny Spot in the center of the retina containing only cones.
Routing Signals
Main Pathway: Lateral geniculate nucleus (Thamalus) - primary visual cortex
Second Pathway: Superor Colliculus - Thalamus - Primary visual cortex
Two Types of Color Mixing
- Additive
2. Subtractive
Trichromatic Theory
Receptors of red, green , blue and color mixing occurs via varied rations of neural activity.
Evidence of Trichromatic Theory
- Primary colors - Add colors together to see light
- Colour Blindness - Not seeing certain colors
- 3 types of cones - sensitive to each color
Opponent process theory
3 pairs of antagonist colors: red/green blue/yellow black/white
Evidence of Opponent Process
- Complementary colors: Colors that you combine them to make grey
- Afterimages: Colors that when stared at too long can be seen on other surfaces
- What about yellow? Is a necessary fourth color.
Subjectivity Perception
Involves interpretation of sensory input. We don’t always pay attention to all sensory input.
Inattentional Blindness
A failure to see a change in what we are looking at. Failing to see something obvious.
Feature Analysis
Specific elements and assembling them into complex forms. (Bigger picture to smaller picture)
Bottom-Up Processing
Progression from individual elements to the whole picture. (Smaller to bigger)
Gestalt Principles
The whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Distal Stimuli
Stimuli outside of the body (looking from a distance)
Proximal Stimuli
Stimuli energies impinging on sensory receptors. (the way we perceive it from the way we see it)
Perceptual Hypotheses
Difference about which distal stimuli create the proximal stimuli we sense.
Perceptual Consistencies
Stable perception amid changing stimuli, we continue to see the object the same though the stimuli changes the look.
Optical Illusion
Difference between the visual appearance and physical reality.
Three Properties of sound
- Amplitude = Loudness / pressure
- Wavelength = Pitch / frequency
- Purity = Timbre/ Based on a single frequency vibration
External Ear
Pinna collect sound like a funnel. Send it to the ear drum causing vibration in the ear.
Middle Ear
The ossicles (hammer, anvil and stirrup) amplifying change in air pressure and vibrates oval window.
Inner Ear
Sound enters the oval window, into the fluid-filled cochlea contains auditory receptors (hair cells.) lined in the Basilar membrane.
Theories of Hearing
Place Theory: Different pitches correspond with vibrations on different places on the basilar membrane.
Frequency Theory: The brain detects the frequency of a tone by the rate at which the entire membrane vibrates.
Auditory Localization
Intensity of the noise and the time it takes to hit both ears.
Taste Receptors
Taste is done through soluble chemical substances that are absorbed through the taste buds. (each taste has its own receptors.)
Taste Receptor Pathway
Taste buds > Neural impulse > Thalamus > Cortex frontal lobe
Smell Receptors
Soluble chemicals substances in the air that dissolve in the mucus, through the noise hairs (olfactory cilia) stimulating them.
Smell Pathway
Olfactory cilia > neural impulse > olfactory bulb olfactory cortex (temporal lobe.)
Human Olfactory capabilities
- Hard to classify
- Ability to distinguish odors is good
- Ability to name odors is poor
Touch Stimuli
Mechanical, thermal and chemical energy impinging on the skin
Touch Receptors
Temperature, pressure and pain
Touch Pathway
Sensory receptors > spinal column > brainstem > cross to opposite side of the brain > thalamus > parietal lobe
Two pain pathways:
- Fast: Quick pain felt in a split second, via myelinated a delta fibers.
- Slow: Slower less localized pain aching via unmyelinated c fibers. Longer lasting
Gate Control Theory
Pain signals can be blocked by “gate” in spinal cord. Doing a different action can stop pain from being felt.
Kinesthetic
Knowing the position of the body parts. Joints bending and muscles flexing.
Vestibular Systems
Responsible for equilibrium and movement space.
Two Types of Vestibular Organs
Otolith organs: Tiny sac containing crystals. When the sac vibrates it tells the crystals about movement.
Semicircular canals: Three fluid-filled canals containing hair cells.
Consciousness
Awareness of internal and external stimuli. A sense of the world and of ourselves.
Waking Consciousness
State which one is alert, thoughts, feelings and sensations are clear and organized.
Altered States of consciousness
Where there is a diminished quality or pattern of mental activity. Feeling fuzzy or unfocused. (hypnosis, drug use and daydreaming.)
Brain Activity
EEG: Monitoring brain electrical activity shows that consciousness is spread through out the brain.
Brain waves, amplitude heights and frequency cycles per second.
EEG Patterns Alertness:
Beta: 13-24 normal waking thought
Alpha 8-12 deep relaxation, meditation
Theta 4-7 light sleep
Delta less than 4 deep sleep
Circadian Rhythms
24h biological clock. Regulates sleep and other functions. Light plays a role.
Pathway of sleep
Light > retina > suprachiasmatic hypothalamus > pineal gland > secretion of melatonin
Stage 1 (sleep cycle.)
Alpha waves > Theta waves (1-7min)
hypnic jerks
light, noise, time you slept and ate.
Breathing, heart rate slows down.
Stage 2 (Sleep cycle)
10-25 minutes sleep spindles
-Brief burst of brain waves
Stage 3 & 4 (sleep)
Slow-wave (delta 30min)20-50% or less stage 3
50% + stage 4
Stage 5 (sleep)
REM: like being awake, vivid dreaming. each cycles gets longer.
Complete Sleep Deprivation
3 or 4 days before body crashes and forces to sleep.
Partial Deprivation
Impaired attention, reaction time, reduced attention.
Sleep Loss
Attention, reaction time, motor coordination, memory etc..
Dreams Theories
- (Freud) Dream as a wish fulfillment. Satisfy unconscious needs in a disguised fashion. (latent content)
- The problem-solving view (Cartwright.) review problems with a reduce logical constraints.
- Activation-Synthesis model - Cortex constructs a story to make sense of internal signals from lower brain centers.
Effect of Hypnosis
- Anesthesia
- Sensory Distortions
- Disinhibition
- Amnesia
Types of Drugs
- Narcotics -pain relief
- Sedatives - sleep inducing
- Stimulant - Increase activity
- Hallucinogens : Distort sensory and perceptual experience.
- Cannabis - produces mild, relaxed euphoria.
- Alcohol - Produces relaxed euphoria and decreases inhibitions
Physical Dependence
When a person must continue taking drugs to avoid withdrawal as their body needs it to function.
Psychological dependence
When a person thinks they need a drug to function and what an emotional/mental craving for it.
Evaluative Conditioning
Neutral UCS can evoke an emotional / attitudes reaction if paired with a positive or negative stimuli (CS)
