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GRE Psychology > Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception Flashcards

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1
Q

Define sensation

A

The feeling that results from physical stimulation

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2
Q

Define perception

A

The way we organize and experience sensation

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3
Q

Define the three steps of sensation

A
  1. Reception - takes place when receptors for a particular sense detects a stimulus
  2. Transduction - process in which physical sensation is changed into electrical messages that the brain can understand
  3. Transmission - sends neural information to the brain
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4
Q

What is the receptive field?

A

Distinct region of sensory space that can produce a response when stimulated; these are found on the body surface and in the muscles, joints, eyes, and internal organs

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5
Q

Name the theories of perception

A
  1. Nativist theory
  2. Empiricist theory
  3. Structuralist theory
  4. Gestalt psychology
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6
Q

Define Nativist Theory

A

Asserts that perception and cognition are largely innate and generally based
- Humans are born with all of their perceptual capacities, even though some abilities are not present at birth and develops during maturation

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7
Q

Define Empiricist Theory

A

Perception is basically learned and develops as the individual adapts to their environment

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8
Q

Define Structuralist Theory

A

Perception is the sum total of sensory input; one can understand the mind by understanding its basic components
-focuses on bottom-up processing

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9
Q

What is bottom-up processing?

A

Starts with sensory data and works upward to the brain’s integration of that data

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10
Q

What is Gestalt Psychology?

A

Asserts that people tend to see the world in terms of organized wholes rather than constituent parts
-focuses on top-down processing

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11
Q

What is top-down processing?

A

Starts with higher level cognitive processes and works downward to sensory information

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12
Q

Define absolute threshold and provide an example

A

Minimum amount of a stimulus that can be detected 50% of the time
-Lowest pitch sound a human can hear

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13
Q

Define differential threshold

A

(also known as just noticeable difference)
Minimum difference that must occur between two stimuli in order for them to be perceived as having different intensities

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14
Q

Who defined differential threshold?

A

E.H Weber

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15
Q

Define terminal threshold and provide an example

A

Upper limit above which the stimuli can no longer be perceived
- Highest pitch sound a human can hear

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16
Q

What is psychophysics?

A

The study of the quantitative relations between psychological sensation and physical stimuli

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17
Q

Who coined the term psychophysics?

A

Gustav Fechner

18
Q

Define Weber’s Law and provide its formula

A

Applies to all senses but only to a limited range of intensities; Law states that a stimulus needs to be increased by a contact fraction of its original value in order to be perceived as noticeably different

K (constant fraction) = delta I (increase in intensity needed for JND)/ I (original intensity)

19
Q

Define Fechner’s Law and provide its formula

A

Built on Weber’s Law; States that the strength of a stimulus must be significantly increased to produce a slight difference in sensation

S (sensation strength) = k log R (logarithm of original intensity)

20
Q

Define J.A. Swet’s Theory of Signal Detection (TSD)

A

Subjects detect stimuli not only because they can but because they want to. Factors motivation into the picture (might explain inconsistent responses)
-example of response bias

21
Q

Define the different types of responses (interplay between response bias and stimulus intensity)

A

-false alarm: saying that you detect a response that is not there
-hit: correctly sensing a stimulus
-miss: failing to detect a present stimulus
-correct rejection: rightly stating that no stimulus exists

22
Q

What are ROC curves?

A

graphical representation of a subject’s sensitivity to a stimulus

23
Q

What is light composed of?

A

photons and waves

24
Q

Define hue

A

(also known as color)
dominant wavelength of light

25
Q

Define brightness

A

physical intensity

26
Q

What is the cornea?

A

Clear protective coating on the outside of the eye

27
Q

Where is the lens located?

A

Behind the cornea

28
Q

What allows the lens to bend (accommodate)?

A

Ciliary muscles

29
Q

What is the role of the lens?

A

Bends to focus an image of the outside world onto the retina?

30
Q

What is the role of the retina?

A

Receives light images from the lens

31
Q

Where is the retina located and what is it comprised of?

A

In the back of the eye; ~132 million photoreceptor cells and other cell layers that process information

32
Q

What are receptor cells (rods and cones) responsible for?

A

Cells on the retina are responsible for sensory transduction; happens through chemical alteration of photopigments

33
Q

What is the role of rods and where are they primarily located?

A

Particularly sensitive to dim light and are used for night vision; concentrated along sides of the retina - super important for peripheral vision

34
Q

What is the role of cones and where are they primarily located?

A

Particularly sensitive to color and daylight vision; concentrated in the fovea (center of retina with greatest visual acuity)

35
Q

What does visual acuity mean?

A

Seeing fine details

36
Q

Why do cones see better than rods?

A

There are fewer cones per ganglion cell than rods per ganglion cell

37
Q

Describe the pathway after light passes through its receptors

A

It travels through horizontal cells to the bipolar cells to the amacrine cells; some information processing takes place here; finally information goes to the ganglion cells (make up the optic nerve)

38
Q

What cells make up the optic nerve?

A

ganglion cells

39
Q

List the different theories for details of vision

A
  1. Opponent-color (opponent-process)
  2. Trichromatic theory (component theory)
40
Q

Define the opponent-color (process) theory

A

Proposed by Ewald Hering; Suggests that two types of color sensitive cells exist: cones that respond to blue-yellow colors and cones that respond to red-green. When one color of the pair is stimulated, the other is inhibited.

(Ex: if object appears red, the green is inhibited - why we see afterimages)

41
Q

What theory of vision explains afterimages?

A

Opponent-process

42
Q

Describe the trichromatic theory of vision

A

Proposed by Thomas Young and Hermann von Helmholz; Suggests that there are three types of receptors in the retina: cones that respond to red, blue, or green

GRE Psychology (1 decks)

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