Psych 2 Flashcards
Sensory pathway
Sensory receptor > sensory ganglia > projection areas
absolute threshold
minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate a sensory system
threshold of conscious perception
the minimum of stimulus energy that will greate a signal large enough in size and long enough in duration to be brought into awareness
subliminal perception
below concious perception. It arrives at the central nervous system but doesn’t enter consciousness
Webber’s law
just noticeable difference for a stimulus is proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus and this proportion is constant over most of the range of possible stimuli
Signal detection theory
effects of nonsensory factors on our perception of stimuli
Catch trial
when signal is present
Noise trial
when signal is not present
Sclera
The white. Most of eye, protective coating
Retina
Inner most layer of eye. Contains photoreceptors that transduce to brain. Outgrowth of brain tissue.
Chloroid
In between retina and sclera. Support structure of eye
Vitreous
transparent gell inside the eye that supports the retina.
Cornea
gathers and filters incoming light
Iris
divides the front of the eye into anterior and posterior chambers. Contains two muscles, dilator and constrictor pupilae, which opens and closes the pupil.
Lens
refracts incoming light to focus it on the retina.
Suspensory ligaments
holds the lense in place. connected to ciliary muscles, which change the shape of the lense
Ciliary body produces _____ wich drains through the _____
aqueous humor, canal of schlemm
Rods
detect light and dark
Cones
detect color. come in three forms to detect different wavelengths of color. Short = blue, Medium = green, Long = red
rods and cones synaps onto ____ which synaps onto _____
bipolar cells which synaps onto ganglia
Horizontal and amacrine cells
integrate and sharpen the signals passed from bipolar cells to ganglia
Visual pathway from eye to brain
optic nerves > optic chiasm > optic tract > lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus > sivual radiations > visual cotex
Optic chiasm
where nasal side of the nerve fibers cross over
Parallel processing
the ability to simultaneously analyze and combine information regarding color, shape and motion
Parvocellular cells
detect fine details but can’t detect with movement
Magnocellular cells
can’t detect fine details but can detect fast moving image.
Outer ear structures and functions
Pinna (auricle): channels sound waves External auditory canal: dirrects sound waves Tympanic membrane (eardrum): vibrates in phase with soundwaves
Middle ear structures and functions
Consists of the ossicles, which amplify vibrations from the tympanic membrane.
ossicles: malleus(hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrups)
stapes rest in the oval window of the cochlea
Eustachian tube
connects the middle ear to the nasal cavity. equalizes presure with environment.
Perilymph
fills the bony labyrinth and cushions inner ear
Endolymph
fills the membraneous labyrinth insid the bony labyrinth
Inner ear structures and functions
membraneous labyrithwithin bony labyrinth. Membraneous labyrinth contains:
cochlea: detects sound
utricle and saccule: detect linear accceleration via hair cells covered with otoliths that resist motion
semicircular canals: detect rotational acceleration. The canals have swelling at the end called ampulla, where hair cells are located.
Cochlea sound detection pathway
vibration of oval window > vibrate perylimph > stimulate the basilar membrane > hairs on organ of Corti conver the physcial stimulus into electrical > auditory (vestibulochlear nerve) > medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) of the thalamus > auditory cortex in temporal lobe
Organ of corti rests on
basilar membrane
olfactory pathway
odor molecules inhaled > contact olfactory nerve > send singals to olfactory bulb > via olfactory tract to higher regions of the brain like limbic system
Somatosensation
pressure, vibration, pain and temperature
two point threshold
minimum distance necessary between two points that it will be felt as two distinct stimuli
physiological zero
normal temperature of the skin where an object is neither warm nor cold
nociceptors
pain receptors
gate theory of pain
pain sensation is reduced when other somatosensory signals are present
Kinesthetic sense (proprioception)
avility to tell where one’s body is in three-dimensional space
Gestalt principles
are ways that the brain can infer missing parts of a picture when a picture is incomplete
Law of Pragnanz
perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple and symmetric as possible (compilation of gestalts principle)
Law of Proximity
says that elemets close to one another tend to be perceived as a unit
Law of Similarity
says that obejcts that are similar appear to be grouped together
Law of good continuation
elemetns that appear to follow the same pathway tend to be grouped together
Subjective contours
refers to the perception of nonexistent edges in figures based on surrouding visual cues
Law of closure
says that when a space is enclosed by a group of lines, it is perceived as a complete or close line
