Psych 5

Question 1

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information

Answer 1

bottom-up processing

Question 2

information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations

Answer 2

top-down processing

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

Transduction

Question 4

the minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

Answer 4

Absolute Threshold

Question 5

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person’s experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.

Answer 5

Signal Detection Theory

Question 6

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

Answer 6

Subliminal

Question 7

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response

Answer 7

Primining

Question 8

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time

Answer 8

Difference Threshold

Question 9

the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)

Answer 9

Weber’s Law

Question 10

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

Answer 10

Sensory Adaptation

Question 11

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

Answer 11

Perceptual Set

Question 12

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

Answer 12

Retina

Question 13

the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

Answer 13

Accommodation

Question 14

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond

Answer 14

Rods

Question 15

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. Detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.

Answer 15

Cones

Question 16

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster

Answer 16

Fovea

Question 17

the theory that opposing 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

Answer 17

Opponent Process Theory

Question 18

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement

Answer 18

Feature Detectors

Question 19

an organized whole. Used by Psychologists to emphasize our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.

Answer 19

Gestalt

Question 20

the organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings

Answer 20

Figure Ground

Question 21

depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

Answer 21

Binocular Clues

Question 22

a 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 two images, the closer the object.

Answer 22

Retinal Disparity

Question 23

depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone

Answer 23

Monocular cues

Question 24

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

Answer 24

Phi Phenomenon

Question 25

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window

Answer 25

Middle Ear

Question 26

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses

Answer 26

Cochlea

Question 27

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness

Answer 27

sensorineural hearing loss

Question 28

less common form of hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

Answer 28

Conduction hearing loss

Question 29

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated

Answer 29

Place Theory

Question 30

in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

Answer 30

Frequency Theory

Question 31

the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The "gate" is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain.

Answer 31

Gate Control Theory

Question 32

a split in consciousness, which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others

Answer 32

Dissociation

Question 33

the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

Answer 33

Vestibular sense

Question 34

the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgements

Answer 34

Embodied Cognition

Question 35

the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis

Answer 35

Parapsychology