Sensation and Perception Flashcards
detection of external stimuli and the transmission of this information to the brain
sensation
processing, organizing, and interpreting sensory glands
perception
attention directed involuntarily
automatic processing
attention directed voluntarily and purposefully
controlled processing
perception based on physical features of a stimuli, new information available within the stimulus
bottom up processing
interpretation of sensory old information based on knowledge, expectations, and experiences
top down processing
One form of energy/stimulus and turning it into a different energy/stimulus, turning it into a neural impulse where your brain can understand in a different way
‣ Requires specialized cells in the sense organs called sensory receptors and transduction is receiving physical stimulation
sense goes through the thalamus
transduction
‣ The minimum amount of stimulation to experience sensation
absolute threshold
‣ The just noticeable difference, the smallest difference between stimuli you notice
difference threshold
- Detection of threshold is subjective, requires judgement, and may be affected by response bias, connected with absolute threshold
signal detection theory
- The difference threshold is proportional to the original stimulus, not a fixed amount of a difference , connected with difference threshold
webers law
if a stimulus is presented continuously, the responses of the sensory system that detect it tend to diminish over time, decrease in sensitivity to constant stimulation
sensory adaption
◦ Unusual combinations of sensations
◦ The inability to separate between one sense and another
- our senses are getting crossed
- both senses are stimulated
synesthesia
cornea-pupil-iris-lens-retina
eye pathway
where are rods and cones in? and which one contains more in eye
retina, and rods
taking the light wave and generating the neural impulse that is sent to the brain
rods and cones
retinal cells that respond to low levels of light and result in black and white perception
rods
retinal cells that respond to higher levels of light and result in color perception
cones
appears to be specialized for the perception and recognition of objects, WHAT an object is
ventral stream
seems to specialized for spatial perception, WHERE an object is
dorsal stream
what are the two processing streams
dorsal and ventral
height
amplitude
width
wavelength
color vision results from activity in three different types of cones that are sensitive to different wavelengths
trichromatic theory
different types of ganglion cells, working in opposing pairs, create the perception that R/G and B/Y are opposites
opponent-process theory
consisting of the distinctive characteristics that place a particular color in the spectrum
hue
the purity of the color
saturation
the color’s perceived intensity
lightness
what does the german world gestalt mean
organized whole
we tend to group figures on how they resemble each other
similarity
we group together edges or contours that have the same orientation
continuity
tendency to complete figures that have gaps in them
closure
we perceive contours as depth
illusory contours
cues of depth perception that arise from the fact that people have two eyes
binocular depth cues
cues of depth perception that are available to each eye alone
monocular depth cues
first described by the psychologists Mario Ponzo, is another classic example of a size/distance illusion
◦ This illusion shows how much we rely on depth perception to gauge size; the brain uses depth cues even when depth is absent
the ponzo illusion
we need to know how far away the object is from us
size constancy
we need to know what angle or angles we are seeing the object from
shape constancy
we need to compare the wavelengths of light reflected from the object with those reflected from its background
color constancy
we need to know how much light is being reflected from the object and from its background
lightness constancy
perception of balance
vestibular system
A mechanism for encoding high-frequency of the sound wave is encoded by the location of the hair cells along the basilar membrane
place theory
- A mechanisms for encoding low-frequency auditory stimuli in which the firing rates of cochlear hair cells match the frequency of the sound wave
frequency theory
the sense of taste
gustation
sense of smell
olfaction
what sense does not go through the thalamus
the sense of smell!!!! it goes through the olfactory bulb
‣ Chemicals released by animals, probably including humans, that trigger physiological or behavioral reactions in other animals an insects
phermones
receptors of pain
fast and slow twitch fibers (haptic sense)
register sharp, fast pain
fast fiber (with myleination)
register dull, chronic pain
slow fiber (without myleination)
perception of the positions and movements of our bodies and our limbs
kinesthetic sense
explains why some sensations are sent to the brain and interpreted as pain and why some are not, the spinal cord acts as a gate and allows pain signals to be carried by nerve fibers to the brain to be perceived
gate control theory
