Psych/Soc Flashcards
binocular cues
Humans have two eyes which allow them to receive visual cues from their environment by ___________. These give them a sense of depth. Examples include:
- Retinal disparity
- Convergence
retinal disparity
Eyes are ~2.5 inches apart which allows humans to get slightly different views of objects of world around. Gives humans an idea on depth.

convergence
Gives humans an idea of depth based on how much eyeballs are turned:
- Things far away – muscles of eyes relaxed.
- Things close to us – muscles of eyes contracted.
monocular cues
Visual cues humans receive which they do not need two eyes for. These give humans a sense of form of an object. Examples include:
- Relative size
- Interposition (overlap)
- Relative height
- Shading and contour
- Motion paralax
- Constancy (size, shape, color)
relative size
The closer an object it is perceived as being bigger. Gives us an idea of form. Monocular cue.

interposition (overlap)
Perception that one object is in front of another. An object that is in the front is closer. Monocular cue.

relative height
Things higher are perceived to be farther away than those that are lower. Monocular cue.

shading and contour
Using light and shadows to perceive form depth/contours (e.g. crater/mountain).

motion parallax
“Relative motion.” Things farther away move slower,
closer moves faster. Monocular cue that gives a sense of motion.
constancy
Our perception of object doesn’t change even if the image cast on the retina is different. Different types of constancy include size constancy, shape constancy, color constancy.
size constancy
One that appears larger because its closer, we still think it is the same size.
shape constancy
A changing shape still maintains the same shape perception.
- Ex. A door opening means the shape is changing. But we still believe the door a rectangle
color constancy
Despite changes in lighting which change the image color falling on our retina, we understand (perceive) that the object is the same color.
sensory adaptation
Our senses are adaptable and they can change their sensitivity to stimuli (hearing, touch, smell, proprioception, sight)
hearing adaptation
Inner ear muscle: higher noise = muscle contract (this dampens vibrations in inner ear, protects ear drum.) Takes a few seconds to kick in! So does not work for immediate noises like a gun shot, but it works for being at a rock concert for an entire afternoon
touch adaptation
Temperature receptors get desensitized over time.
smell adaptation
Receptors in your nose get desensitized to molecule sensory information over time.
proprioception adaptation
The sense of the position of the body in space i.e. “sense of balance/where you are in space.”
- Experiment: goggles that make everything upside down and the perception of the world, and eventually you would accommodate over time, and flip it back over.
sight adaptation
Down regulation or up regulation to light intensity:
- Down regulation: light adaptation. When it is bright out, pupils constrict (less light enters back of eye), and the desensitization of rods and cones become desensitized to light)
- Up regulation: dark regulation. Pupils dilate-, rods and cones start synthesizing light sensitive molecules
down-regulation of sight adaptation
Light adaptation. When it is bright out, pupils constrict (less light enters back of eye), and the desensitization of rods and cones become desensitized to light)
up-regulation of sight adaptation
Dark regulation: Pupils dilate, rods and cones start synthesizing light sensitive molecules.
just noticeable difference (JND)
The threshold at which you’re able to notice a change in any sensation.
- E.g. A 2 vs. 2.05 lb weight would feel the same, but a 2 vs. 2.2 lb weight difference would be noticeable.
weber’s law
ΔI (JND)/I (initial intensity) = k (constant)
- E.g: 0.2/2 = 0.5/5 = 0.1, change must be 0.1 of initial intensity to be noticeable
If we take Weber’s Law and rearrange it, we can see that it predicts a linear relationship between incremental threshold and background intensity.
- ΔI=Ik
absolute threshold of sensation
The minimum intensity of stimulus needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.
- At low levels of stimulus, some subjects can detect and some can’t.
- Different than Just Noticeable Difference (JND) which is the smallest difference that can be detected 50% of the time
- Absolute threshold can be influenced by a # of factors (it’s not a fixed unchanging number. E.g: it is influenced by a variety of psychological states:
- Expectations – ex. Are you expecting a text.
- Experience (how familiar you are with it) – ex. Are you familiar of the phone’s text vibration sound.
- Motivation – ex. Are you interested in the response of the text
- Alertness – Are you awake our drowsy. Ex. You will notice text if you are awake











































