Psych Unit 4 Flashcards
the process by which our sensory receptors/nervous system receive/represent stimulus energies from our environment
Sensation
sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli
Sensory receptors
the process of organizing/interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects/events
Perception
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information
Bottom-up processing
information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perception drawing on our experience and expectation
Top-down processing
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
Selective attention
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
Inattentional blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness
Change blindness
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 brain can interpret
Transduction
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
Psychophysics
the minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
Absolute threshold
predicts how/ when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold/ that detection depends partly on a person’s experience, expectation, motivation, alertness
Signal detection theory
below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness
Subliminal
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experience the difference threshold as just a noticeable difference (jnd)
Difference threshold
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain association, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response
Priming
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)
Weber’s law
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
Sensory adaptation
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
Perceptual set
the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
Extrasensory perception (ESP)
the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis
Parapsychology
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next, vary from the short blips of gamma rays to the long pulses of radio transmission
Wavelength
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth
Hue
the amount of energy in a light wave or sound wave, which influences what we perceive as brightness or loudness, determined by the wave’s amplitude (height)
Intensity
the eye’s clear, protective outer layer, covering the pupil/iris
Cornea
the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
Pupil
a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil/controls the size of the pupil opening
Iris
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
Lens
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
Retina
the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near/far objects on the retina
Accommodation
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray, and are sensitive to movement; necessary for peripheral/ twilight vision, when cones don’t respond
Rods
retinal receptors that are concentrated near the center of the retina/ that function in daylight/ in well-lit conditions, detect fine detail/ give rise to color sensation
Cones
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
Optic nerve
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there
Blindspot
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster
Fovea
the theory that the retina contains three different types of color receptors- one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue- which, when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color
Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, blue-yellow, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green/ inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red/ inhibited by green
Opponent-process theory
nerve cells in the brain’s visual cortex that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, movement
Feature detectors
processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision
Parallel processing
