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MCAT Behavioral Sciences > Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception Flashcards

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MCAT flashcards
1
Q

the conversion (or transduction) of physical, electromagnetic, auditory, and other information from the internal and external environment into electrical signals in the nervous system

A

sensation

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2
Q

the processing of sensory information to make sense of its significance

A

perception

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3
Q

neurons that respond to stimuli by triggering electrical signals that carry information to the CNS

A

sensory receptors

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4
Q

stimuli produced by physical objects outside of the body

A

distal stimuli

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5
Q

stimuli produced by distal stimuli that directly interacts with sensory receptors, sensory-stimulating byproducts

A

proximal stimuli

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6
Q

field that studies relationship between the physical nature of stimuli and the sensations and perceptions these stimuli evoke

A

psychophysics

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7
Q

collections of neuron cell bodies found outside CNS; transmits data (electrical signals) pertaining to a stimulus to the CNS

A

sensory ganglia

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8
Q

areas of brain that receive electrochemical energy sent along neural pathways from sensory ganglia to further analyze the sensory input

A

projection areas

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9
Q

sensory receptors that respond to waves in visible spectrum (sight)

A

photoreceptors

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10
Q

sensory neurons that respond to pressure or movement (hair cells)

A

mechanoreceptors

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11
Q

sensory receptors that respond to painful or noxious stimuli (somatosensation)

A

nociceptors

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12
Q

sensory receptors that respond to changes in temperature (thermosensation)

A

thermoreceptors

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13
Q

sensory receptors that respond to the osmolarity of the blood (water homeostasis)

A

osmoreceptors

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14
Q

sensory receptors that respond to volatile compounds (smell)

A

olfactory receptors

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15
Q

sensory receptors that respond to dissolved compounds (taste)

A

taste receptors

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16
Q

minimum stimulus that causes a change in signal transduction

A

threshold

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17
Q

minimum stimulus energy needed to activate sensory system

A

absolute threshold

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18
Q

level of intensity that a stimulus must pass in order to be consciously perceived by the brain

A

threshold of conscious perception

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19
Q

information received by CNS but does not cross threshold of conscious perception

A

subliminal perception

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20
Q

refers to minimum change in magnitude required for an observer to perceive that two different stimuli are different

A

difference threshold (just-noticeable difference (jnd))

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21
Q

participant presented with stimulus, stimulus varied slightly and asked if they perceive a change, varied until interval found, reported as fraction or percent

A

discrimination testing

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22
Q

different thresholds are proportional and must be computed as percents

A

Weber’s Law

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23
Q

studies how internal (psychological) and external (environmental) factors influence thresholds

A

signal detection theory

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24
Q

consists of many trials; during trial a stimulus (signal) may or may not be presented

A

signal detection experiment

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25
Q

signal detection experiment trial in which signal is presented

A

noise trial

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26
Q

signal detection experiment trial in which signal is not presented

A

catch trial

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27
Q

result of signal detection experiment trial in which signal is presented and correctly perceived

A

hit

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28
Q

result of signal detection experiment trial in which signal is presented and incorrectly not perceived

A

miss

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29
Q

result of signal detection experiment trial in which signal is not presented and incorrectly perceived

A

false alarm

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30
Q

result of signal detection experiment trial in which signal is not presented and correctly not perceived

A

correct negative

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31
Q

change in ability to detect a stimulus over time

A

adaptation

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32
Q

specialized organ used to detect light in the form of photons

A

eye

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33
Q

white of eye, thick structural layer covering exposed portion of eye, does not cover cornea

A

sclera

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34
Q

blood vessels that supply nutrients to the eye

A

choroidal and retinal vessels

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35
Q

innermost layer of eye, contains photoreceptors that transduce light into electrical information the brain can process

A

retina

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36
Q

clear, domelike window in front of eye, gathers and focuses incoming light

A

cornea

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37
Q

division of front of eye, lies in front of iris

A

anterior chamber

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38
Q

division of front of eye, between iris and lens

A

posterior chamber

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39
Q

colored part of eye composed of two muscles to open and constrict pupil

A

iris

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40
Q

opens pupil under sympathetic stimulation

A

dilator pupillae

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41
Q

constricts pupil under parasympathetic stimulation

A

constrictor pupillae

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42
Q

vascular layer of connective tissue that surrounds and provides nourishment to retina, continuous with the iris

A

choroid

43
Q

produces aqueous humor that bathes front of eye before draining into the canal of Schlemm, continuous with iris

A

ciliary body

44
Q

lies behind iris, helps control refraction of incoming light

A

lens

45
Q

change in shape of lens to focus on an image as the distance varies

A

accommodation

46
Q

contracts under parasympathetic control to pull on suspensory ligaments to change shape of the lens

A

ciliary muscle

47
Q

transparent gel behind the lens that supports the retina

A

vitreous humor

48
Q

in the back of the eye, like a screen consisting of neural elements and blood vessels, converts incoming photons of light to electrical signals

A

retina

49
Q

states retina contains two kinds of photoreceptors: those specialized for light-and-dark reception and those specialized for color detection

A

duplexity/duplicity theory of vision

50
Q

6 million, used for color vision and to sense fine details, most effective in bright light

A

cones

51
Q

120 million, more functional in reduced illumination, only contains rhodopsin pigment

A

rods

52
Q

central section of retina, contains high concentrations of cones

A

macula

53
Q

center most region of macula, contains only cones; directly involved in color sensation and its distribution of receptors varies across different species

A

fovea

54
Q

blind spot devoid of photoreceptors in region of retina where optic nerve leaves the eye

A

optic disk

55
Q

starts from eye, travels through optic nerves, optic chiasm (contains fibers crossing from nasal side of retina (temporal visual fields) of both eyes), optic tracts, lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of thalamus, and visual radiations (run through temporal and parietal lobes) to get to the visual cortex (in the occipital lobe)

A

visual pathway

56
Q

brain’s ability to analyze information regarding color, form, motion, and depth simultaneously

A

visual parallel processing

57
Q

detect form with high spatial resolution and low temporal resolution

A

parvocellular cells

58
Q

detect motion with low spatial resolution and high temporal resolution

A

magnocellular cells

59
Q

detect depth

A

binocular neurons

60
Q

responsible for sense of hearing and vestibular sense

A

ears

61
Q

ability to detect both linear and rotational acceleration and use this info to inform sense of balance and spatial orientation

A

vestibular sense

62
Q

cartilaginous outside part of ear, first to receive sound waves and channels them into external auditory canal (meatus)

A

pinna/auricle

63
Q

directs sound waves to tympanic membrane

A

external auditory canal (meatus)

64
Q

vibrates in phase with incoming sound waves

A

tympanic membrane (eardrum)

65
Q

three smallest bones in body in middle ear, transmit and amplify vibrations from tympanic membrane to inner ear

A

ossicles

66
Q

hammer, affixed to tympanic membrane, acts on incus

A

malleus

67
Q

anvil, acts on stapes

A

incus

68
Q

stirrup, baseplate rests on oval window of the cochlea

A

stapes

69
Q

connects middle ear to nasal cavity

A

Eustachian tube

70
Q

hollow region of temporal bone containing cochlea, vestibule, and semicircular canals of inner ear

A

bony labyrinth

71
Q

collection of structures inside bony labyrinth that contains receptors for the sense of equilibrium and hearing

A

membranous labyrinth

72
Q

potassium-rich fluid filling membranous labyrinth and suspended within bony labyrinth by thin layer of perilymph

A

endolymph

73
Q

thin layer that suspends endolymph in bony labyrinth, also transmits vibrations and cushions inner ear structures

A

perilymph

74
Q

spiral-shaped organ containing receptors for hearing; divided into three parts called scalae

A

cochlea

75
Q

three parts that run the entire length of the cochlea

A

scalae

76
Q

inside middle scala; actual hearing apparatus; rests on thin flexible membrane called basilar membrane, composed of thousands of hair cells bathed in endolymph, relatively immobile membrane on top called tectorial membrane

A

organ of Corti

77
Q

membrane covered hole in cochlea, permits perilymph to actually move within the cochlea

A

round window

78
Q

carries electrical signals transduced from physical stimulus by hair cells to CNS

A

auditory (vestibulocochlear) nerve

79
Q

portion of bony labyrinth containing utricle and saccule which are used as part of balancing apparatus and to determine 3-D orientation in space, sensitive to linear acceleration

A

vestibule

80
Q

modified hair cells covering the utricle and saccule

A

ostoliths

81
Q

three perpendicular canals sensitive to rotational acceleration

A

semicircular canals

82
Q

swelling on end of each canal where hair cells are located

A

ampulla

83
Q

starts from cochlea and travels through vestibulocochlear nerve and medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) of thalamus to get to auditory complex in temporal lobe

A

auditory pathways

84
Q

long tufts of stereocilia on top surface, sway within endolymph causing ion channels to open causing receptor potential

A

hair cells

85
Q

theory on sound perception states location of hair cell determines perception of pitch when vibrated

A

place theory

86
Q

detection of volatile or aerosolized chemicals by olfactory chemoreceptors (olfactory nerves)

A

smell

87
Q

starts from olfactory nerves and travels through olfactory bulb and olfactory tract to get to higher order brain areas like limbic system

A

olfactory pathway

88
Q

detection of dissolved compounds by taste buds in papillae; five modalities: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (savory)

A

taste

89
Q

four touch modalities: pressure, vibration, pain, and temperature

A

somatosensation

90
Q

miniumum distance necessary between points of stimulus on skin that they will be felt as distinct stimuli

A

two-point threshold

91
Q

normal temperature of skin objects are compared to to determine if they are hot or cold

A

physiological zero

92
Q

pain sensation reduced when other somatosensory senses are present

A

gate theory of pain

93
Q

ability to tell where one’s body is in 3-D space

A

kinesthetic sense (proprioception)

94
Q

recognition of objects by parallel processing and feature detection, slower but less prone to mistakes

A

bottom-up (data-driven) processing

95
Q

recognition of an object by memories and expectation with little attention to detail, faster but more prone to mistakes

A

top-down (conceptually driven) processing

96
Q

ways that brain can infer missing parts of an incomplete picture

A

Gestalt principles

97
Q

Gestalt principle that says that elements close to one another tend to be perceived as a unit

A

law of proximity

98
Q

Gestalt principle that says that objects that are similar appear to be grouped together

A

law of similarity

99
Q

Gestalt principle that says that elements that appear to follow the same pathway tend to be grouped togther

A

law of good continuation

100
Q

perception of nonexistent edges in figures based on surrounding visual cues

A

subjective contours

101
Q

Gestalt principle that says that when a space is enclosed by a group of lines it is perceived as a complete or closed line

A

law of closure

102
Q

Gestalt principle that says that perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as possible

A

law of pragnanz

103
Q

our synthesis of stimuli to make sense of the world

A

perceptual organization

MCAT Behavioral Sciences (13 decks)

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