Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

PSYC 1001 > Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception Flashcards

Chapter 4 of the Pearson Textbook. Covers the definitions of sensation and perception, the visual and auditory systems, the body systems, and the 5 senses and how they are perceived.

1
Q

What is sensation?

A

Detection of physical energy by the sensory organs (e.g., eyes for sight, ears for hearing)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is perception?

A

The brain’s interpretation of raw sensory data, perceives sensation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

When we perceive a stimulus that doesn’t match reality, what is that called?

A

An illusion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the process by which the nervous systems turns an external energy into excitation of neurons?

A

Transduction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are sense receptors?

A

Specialized cells that convert a specific stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the top-down process and what is the bottom-up process?

A

Top-down process: initiated by our thoughts and beliefs and flows down
Bottom-up process: where a whole stimulus is constructed with parts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is parallel processing?

A

The ability to attend to multiple senses at once

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is psychophysics?

A

The study of how we perceive sensory stimuli based on their physical characteristics

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is absolute threshold?

A

The lowest level of a stimulus that we can detect

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the just-noticeable difference (JND)?

A

The smallest amount of stimulus change a human can detect

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Explain Weber’s Law.

A

The stronger the stimulus, the greater the change needed to detect a difference.
E.g., if we add one candle to a low-lit room, our brain perceives a large difference. If we add one candle to a high-lit room, our brain would not perceive a large difference.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

HINT: What is the Signal Detection Theory?

A

Theory regarding HOW stimuli are DETECTED under different conditions!
A method of differentiating a person’s ability to discriminate the presence and absence of a stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are phosephenes?

A

Luminous shapes like stars, zigzags, etc. that are seen when one’s eyes are closed tightly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is synesthesia?

A

Hearing sounds when one sees or tastes colours, a form of sensory cross-modality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is sensory cross-modality?

A

Where two or more senses integrate with each other to create unique perceptual experiences

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the Binding Problem?

A

How our brain takes multiple pieces of information and combines them to represent something concrete

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is selective attention?

A

Allows us to choose which sensory inputs to focus on and which to ignore

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Even when we’re not paying attention to some sensory inputs, they are still being processed. What effect is this called?

A

Cocktail Party Effect

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is a wavelength?

A

The distance between two peaks of a wave, what makes up light

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the sclera?

A

The white portion of the eye

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Which coloured portion of the eye controls how much light enters it?

A

The iris

22
Q

Which curved, transparent layer that covers the iris and pupil focuses light on the back of the eye?

A

The cornea

23
Q

What is the pupil?

A

The hole where light enters the eye

24
Q

Which part of the eye changes curvature/accomodation to keep images in focus?

A

The lens

25
Q

What is the retina?

A

The thin membrane at the back of the eye

26
Q

Which part of the eye is in the centre of the retina and is responsible for acuity?

A

The fovea

27
Q

What are the two types of sense receptors on the retina and what do they do?

A

Rods allow us to see at low light levels, and cones allow us to see colour

28
Q

Which part of the eye causes a blind spot because it connects to the retina?

A

The optic nerve

29
Q

What does the trichromatic theory of colour suggest?

A

Our vision is based on our sensitivity to 3 primary colours: red, green, and blue

30
Q

What does the opponent process theory of colour suggest?

A

Colour vision is considered as a function of complementary/opposing colours, e.g. red vs. green

31
Q

Also known as “myopia”, what is near-sightedness?

A

Harder to see objects at a distance due to a steep cornea or long eyes

32
Q

Also known as “hyperopia”, what is far-sightedness?

A

Harder to see objects nearby due to a flat cornea or short eyes

33
Q

What are Gestalt Principles?

A

Rules that govern how we perceive objects as wholes within their overall context, e.g., proximity or symmetry

34
Q

HINT: What is the Visual Cliff Test?

A

Conducted by Eleanor Gibson, proved that hesitation as young as 6 months old demonstrates that depth perception is partially innate and a result of experience

35
Q

Between what range can humans hear wavelengths?

A

20-20,000 Hz

36
Q

What is audition?

A

Our sense of hearing, the sense we rely on most after sight

37
Q

What are the 3 components that make up sound?

A
  1. Pitch (wave frequency, Hz)
  2. Loudness (amplitude of sound waves, dB)
  3. Timbre (complexity of sound)
38
Q

The ear is made up of 3 parts. What are their names?

A

Outer, middle, and inner

39
Q

Which two parts of the outer ear tunnel sound waves to the eardrum?

A

The pinna and the ear canal

40
Q

Which part of the middle ear vibrates and transmits sound from the eardrum to the inner ear?

A

The ossicles

41
Q

Which part of the inner ear converts vibration into neural activity?

A

The cochlea

42
Q

When sounds cannot enter the outer or middle ear, what is this called?

A

Conductive deafness

43
Q

Due to damage in the auditory nerve, what is this permanent hearing loss called?

A

Nerve deafness

44
Q

Due to repeated loud noise, what type of hearing loss causes damage in the hearing cells?

A

Nerve-induced hearing loss

45
Q

What is the somatosensory system?

A

System that responds to stimuli applied to skin, temperature, and energy

46
Q

What are mechanoreceptors?

A

Specialized nerve endings in the skin

47
Q

What is the Gate control Theory?

A

Theory that suggests we have a neurological gate in the spinal cord that “opens” or “closes” to allow or block pain signals to travel to the brain

48
Q

What are our 3 body systems that work in harmony?

A
  1. Somatosensory system - touch and pain
  2. Proprioception system - kinesthetic sense
  3. System of vestibular sense - equilibrium and balance
49
Q

Known as the “chemical senses”, which two senses work together to enhance liking or disliking of some foods?

A

Olfaction (smell) and gustation (taste)

50
Q

Name the 5 basic tastes that our tongue is sensitive to.

A
  1. Sweet
  2. Salty
  3. Sour
  4. Bitter
  5. Umami (savoury and meaty)
51
Q

What does the tongue contain that senses the basic tastes?

A

Taste buds (papillae)

52
Q

What is the tongue map myth?

A

A myth that suggests that 4 areas of the tongue tastes a different flavour

PSYC 1001 (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions