Sensation And Perception Flashcards
The detection of physical energy emitted or reflected by physical objects.
It occurs when energy in the external environment or the body stimulates receptors in the sense organs.
Sensation
Sensing a _________ is a detectable input from the environment:
1. Light—vision
2. Sound—hearing
3. Chemicals—taste and smell
4. Pressure, temperature, pain—sense of touch
5. Orientation, balance—kinesthetic senses
stimulus
Specialized cells that convert physical energy in the environment or the body to electrical energy that can be transmitted as nerve impulses to the brain.
Sense receptors
Sensory receptors:
Sensory receptors in the peripheral NS:
Impulses each cells of the brain:
> Scout
Field officers
Command centre
Some physical stimuli that our bodies are sensitive to:
- Light as experienced through vision
Visible light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Properties of light
i. Intensity
ii. Wavelength
iii. Complexity or purity - Sound as experienced through audition
Properties of sound
i. Intensity
ii. Frequency
iii. Wave form
Sensation and Perception Processes
Stimulus energy>sensory receptors (Spinal Cord) >neural impulses>Brain
The smallest quantity of physical energy that can be reliably detected by an observer.
Absolute Threshold
The smallest difference in stimulation that can be reliably detected by an observer when two stimuli are compared;
Also called Just Noticeable Difference (JND).
Difference Threshold
The reduction or disappearance of sensory responsiveness when stimulation is unchanging or repetitious.
Prevents us from having to continuously respond to unimportant information.
Adaptation
absence of normal levels of sensory stimulation.
Deprivation
The sequence of events that converts chemical signals into different sensations.
Transduction
Overstimulation of the senses
Sensory overload
Can use ______________ to reduce sensory overload.
The focusing of attention on selected aspects of the environment and the blocking out of others.
selective attention
Protects eye and bends light toward lens.
Cornea
Focuses on objects by changing shape.
Lens
Controls amount of light that gets into eye
Iris
Widens or dilates to let in more light.
Pupil
Neural tissue lining the back of the eyeball’s interior, which contains the receptors for vision.
Retina
Visual receptors that respond to dim light.
Rods
Visual receptors involved in colour vision. Most humans have 3 types of ______.
Cones
The slight difference in lateral separation between two objects as seen by the left eye and the right eye.
Retinal Disparity
Turning inward of the eyes, which occurs when they focus on a nearby object.
Convergence
Visual cues to depth or distance that require the use of both eyes.
Binocular Cues
Convergence and Retinal Disparity
The Outer Ear
The ______ (pinna) is the visible portion of the outer ear. It collects sound waves and channels them into the _______ (external auditory meatus), where the sound is amplified.
auricle
ear canal
The Middle Ear
The vibrations from the eardrum set the ______ into motion. The ________ are actually tiny bones — the smallest in the human body. The ________ further amplify the sound.
ossicles
The Inner Ear
The sound waves enter the inner ear and then into the ______, a snail-shaped organ. The ______ is filled with a fluid that moves in response to the vibrations from the oval window.
cochlea
The dimension of auditory experience related to the frequency of a pressure wave.
Pitch
The distinguishing quality of sound; the dimension of auditory experience related to the complexity of the pressure wave.
Timbre
Sounds from different directions are not identical as they arrive at left and right ears
Loudness
Timing
Phase
The brain calculates a sound’s location by using these differences.
Auditory Localization
the special sense associated with the tongue.
Gustation
the special sense associated with the tongue.
Gustation
the special sense associated with the tongue.
Gustation
covered with small bumps, called papillae, which contain taste buds that are sensitive to chemicals in ingested food or drink.
Tongue
covered with small bumps, called papillae, which contain taste buds that are sensitive to chemicals in ingested food or drink.
Tongue
covered with small bumps, called papillae, which contain taste buds that are sensitive to chemicals in ingested food or drink.
Tongue
Nests of taste-receptor cells.
Taste buds
detects and discriminate odors as well as social cues which influence our innate responses.
Olfaction
The process by which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information.
Perception
Perception, through this experience that we gain ______ about the environment around us.
Types of Perception
- refers to the ability to identify and use social cues about people and relationships.
- is how we perceive certain societies and can be affected by things such asstereotypesand generalizations.
- involvespaying attention to some parts of our environment while ignoring others.
Person Perception
Social Perception
Selective Perception
is how we perceive certain societies and can be affected by things such asstereotypesand generalizations.
ESP
Extrasensory Perception (ESP):
The ability to perceive something without ordinary sensory information
This has not been scientifically demonstrated
Three types of ESP:
Telepathy – Mind-to-mind communication
Clairvoyance – Perception of remote events
Precognition – Ability to see future events
ESP
