psych ch 4

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

the process of detecting external events with sense organs and turning those stimuli into neural signals

Question 2

Perception

Answer 2

involves attending to, organising, and interpreting stimuli that we sense

Question 3

Transduction

Answer 3

when specialised receptors transform the physical energy of the outside world into neural impulses - which travel into the brain and influence activity

Question 4

Doctrine of specific nerve energies

Answer 4

the idea that the different senses are separated in the brain, was proposed in 1826 by Johannes Muller (german scientist)

Question 5

Sensory adaptation

Answer 5

the reduction of activity in sensory receptors with repeated exposure to a stimulus

Question 6

Psychophysics

Answer 6

the field of study that explores how physical energy (light, sound) and their intensity relate to psychological experience

Question 7

Absolute threshold

Answer 7

the minimum amount of energy or quantity of a stimulus required for it to be reliably detected at least 50% of the time it is presented

Question 8

Difference threshold

Answer 8

the smallest different between stimuli that can be reliably detected at least 50% of the time

Question 9

Weber’s law states that…

Answer 9

the just noticeable difference between two stimuli changes as proportions of those stimuli

Question 10

Signal detection theory states that…

Answer 10

whether a stimulus is perceived depends on both the sensory experience and the judgement made by the subject

Question 11

Priming

Answer 11

technique in which previous exposure to a stimulus can influence that individuals later responses

Question 12

Sclera

Answer 12

the white, outer surface of the eye

Question 13

Cornea

Answer 13

the clear layer that covers the front portion of the eye and also contributes to the eyes ability to focus

Question 14

Pupil

Answer 14

regulates the amount of light that enters the eye by changing its size; it dilates (expands) to allow more light to enter and constructs (shrinks) to allow less light into the eye

Question 15

Lens

Answer 15

a clear structure that focuses light onto the back of the eye

Question 16

Retina

Answer 16

lines the inner surface of the back of the eye and consists of specialised receptors that absorb light and send signals related to the properties of light to the brain

Question 17

Optic nerve

Answer 17

a dense bundle of fibres that connect to the brain

Question 18

Dark adaptation

Answer 18

the process by which the rods and cones become increasingly sensitive

Question 19

Trichromatic theory (Young-Helmholtz theory)

Answer 19

maintains that colour vision is determined by three different cone types that are sensitive to short, medium, and long wavelengths of light

Question 20

Opponent-process theory

Answer 20

colour perception, which states that we perceive colour in terms of opposing pairs: red to green, yellow to blue, and white to black

Question 21

The ventral stream extends…

Answer 21

from the visual cortex to the lower part of the temporal lobe

Question 22

The dorsal stream extends…

Answer 22

from the visual cortex to the parietal lobe

Question 23

Perceptual constancy

Answer 23

the ability to perceive objects as having constant shape, size, and colour despite changes in perspective

Question 24

Binocular depth cues

Answer 24

distance cues that are based on the differing perspectives of both eyes

Question 25

Place theory of hearing

Answer 25

how we perceive pitch is based on the location (place) along the basilar membrane that sound stimulates

Question 26

The vestibular system

Answer 26

a sensory system in the ear that provides information about spatial orientation of the head as well as head motion

Question 27

The vestibular sacs

Answer 27

structures that influence your ability to detect when your head is no longer in an upright position

Question 28

Gustatory system functions…

Answer 28

in the sensation and perception of taste

Question 29

Olfactory system

Answer 29

involved in smell - the detection of airborne particles with specialised receptors located in the nose.

Question 30

Olfactory epithelium

Answer 30

a thin layer of cells that are ruined by sensory receptors called cilia - tiny hair-like projections that have proteins that bind with molecules entering the nasal cavity

Question 31

Olfactory bulb

Answer 31

serves as the brain’s central region for processing smells

Question 32

Gate-control theory

Answer 32

explains our experience of pain as an interaction between nerves that transmit pain messages and those that inhibit these messages

Question 33

Haptics

Answer 33

the active, explanatory aspect of touch sensation and perception

Question 34

Multimodal integration

Answer 34

the ability to combine sensation from different modalities such as vision and hearing into a single integrated perception

Question 34

Nociception

Answer 34

the activity of nerve pathways that respond to uncomfortable stimulation

Question 35

Kinesthesis

Answer 35

the sense of bodily motion and position