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Psych 202 > Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception Flashcards

1
Q

What is sensation?

A

Sensation is the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

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2
Q

What is perception?

A

Perception is the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

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3
Q

What is bottom-up processing?

A

Bottom-up processing starts with the sensory input, where the brain attempts to understand or make sense of it

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4
Q

How does top-down processing differ from bottom-up?

A

Top-down processing is guided by experience and higher-level processes, allowing us to see what we expect to see

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5
Q

What is selective inattention?

A

Selective inattention is when we miss salient objects that are available to be sensed, as we are in only one place at a time

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6
Q

What is inattentional blindness?

A

Inattentional blindness occurs when we fail to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

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7
Q

What is transduction?

A

Transduction is the conversion of one form of energy into another, such as light waves into neural impulses that our brain can interpret

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8
Q

What are the steps of transduction?

A

Transduction steps are: receive, transform, deliver

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9
Q

What is psychophysics?

A

Psychophysics is the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them

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10
Q

What is the absolute threshold?

A

The absolute threshold is the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

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11
Q

What is the difference threshold?

A

The difference threshold is the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time

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12
Q

What is just noticeable difference (JND)?

A

JND is the smallest difference in the amount of stimulation that a specific sense can detect

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13
Q

What does signal detection theory predict?

A

Signal detection theory predicts how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise), based on the strength of the signal and our psychological state

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14
Q

What is Weber’s Law?

A

Weber’s Law is the principle that for two stimuli to be perceived as different, they must differ by a constant minimum percentage, not a constant amount

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15
Q

What are subliminal stimuli?

A

Subliminal stimuli are those below the level of conscious awareness, not detectable 50% of the time

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16
Q

What is priming?

A

Priming is the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response

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17
Q

What is sensory adaptation?

A

Sensory adaptation is the diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation, which helps save attention for new incoming stimuli

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18
Q

What is a perceptual set?

A

A perceptual set is a predisposition or readiness to perceive something in a particular way

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19
Q

What is parapsychology?

A

Parapsychology is the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP (extra-sensory perception) and psychokinesis (moving objects with the mind)

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20
Q

What is extrasensory perception (ESP)?

A

ESP is the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input, including telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition

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21
Q

What part of the light spectrum can humans see?

A

The part of the spectrum visible to humans is quite small, and we can see light waves from about 400 nm to 700 nm

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22
Q

What is the relationship between frequency and color?

A

Short wavelength = high frequency (blueish colors), long wavelength = low frequency (redish colors)

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23
Q

What does amplitude of light refer to?

A

Amplitude of light refers to the height of the wave, where great amplitude corresponds to bright colors and small amplitude corresponds to dull colors

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24
Q

What is the cornea’s function in the eye?

A

The cornea is the eye’s clear, protective outer layer, where light enters first

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25
Q

What is the pupil?

A

The pupil is the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

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26
Q

What does the iris control?

A

The iris is a ring of muscle tissue that controls the size of the pupil opening

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27
Q

What is the lens responsible for?

A

The lens is the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

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28
Q

What is accommodation in the eye?

A

Accommodation is the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

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29
Q

What is myopia?

A

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is when one can see near objects clearly but not far objects clearly because the lens focuses the image on a point in front of the retina

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30
Q

What is hyperopia?

A

Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is when one can see far objects clearly but not near objects because the lens focuses the image on a point past the retina

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31
Q

What is the retina’s function?

A

The retina is the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye that contains receptor rods and cones, which begin the processing of visual information

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32
Q

How do rods function in the eye?

A

Rods detect black, white, and gray and are necessary for peripheral and twilight vision; they are located along the retina’s outer periphery

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33
Q

How do cones function in the eye?

A

Cones are retinal receptor cells that detect fine detail and color, and they function best in daylight or well-lit conditions

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34
Q

What are bipolar cells in the retina?

A

Bipolar cells are neurons that receive information from the retinal cells and distribute it to the ganglion cells

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35
Q

What are ganglion cells?

A

Ganglion cells are specialized neurons that connect to bipolar cells, and their bundled axons form the optic nerve

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36
Q

What is the fovea?

A

The fovea is the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster and provides the greatest visual acuity

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37
Q

What is the optic nerve’s function?

A

The optic nerve carries the neural impulses from the retina to the brain

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38
Q

What is the blind spot in the eye?

A

The blind spot is the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a spot with no receptor cells

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39
Q

What are the steps in visual stimulation?

A

Light passes through the cornea and lens, creating an image on the retina. The optic nerve carries the impulse to the thalamus and visual cortex

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40
Q

What is the Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory?

A

The theory suggests that the retina contains three color receptors sensitive to red, green, and blue, which can produce the perception of any color when combined

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41
Q

What is color blindness?

A

Color blindness is a condition where people lack functioning red or green sensitive cones, most commonly affecting males

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42
Q

What does Hering’s opponent-process theory propose?

A

Hering’s theory suggests that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision

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43
Q

How does color processing work?

A

Color processing begins with the retina’s red, green, and blue cones, which respond to color stimuli, and then the signals are processed by opponent-process cells

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44
Q

What are feature detectors in the brain?

A

Feature detectors are nerve cells that respond to specific features of stimuli, such as shape, angle, or movement, and send the information to other cortical areas

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45
Q

What are supercell clusters?

A

Supercell clusters receive information from feature detectors and respond to more complex patterns

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46
Q

What is parallel processing in vision?

A

Parallel processing in vision allows the brain to process multiple aspects of a visual stimulus, such as form, motion, color, and depth, simultaneously

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47
Q

What are grandmother cells?

A

Grandmother cells are hypothetical neurons that represent a complex but specific concept or object, such as a person’s grandmother

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48
Q

What is the process by which sensory receptors and the nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from the environment?

A

Sensation

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49
Q

What does perception involve in relation to sensory information?

A

Perception is the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to recognize meaningful objects and events

50
Q

What is the difference between bottom-up and top-down processing?

A

Bottom-up processing starts with sensory input, while top-down processing is guided by experience and higher-level processes

51
Q

What is selective attention?

A

The tendency to focus on one stimulus among many, while ignoring others

52
Q

What is change blindness?

A

Failing to notice changes in the environment

53
Q

What is transduction in sensory processes?

A

The conversion of one form of energy into another, such as light waves into neural impulses

54
Q

What are the steps in transduction?

A

Receive, transform, and deliver sensory information

55
Q

What is psychophysics?

A

The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experience of them

56
Q

What is the absolute threshold?

A

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

57
Q

What is the difference threshold?

A

The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time

58
Q

What is the just noticeable difference (JND)?

A

The smallest difference in the amount of stimulation that a specific sense can detect

59
Q

What does the Signal Detection Theory (SDT) predict?

A

It predicts how and when we detect faint stimuli amid background noise, depending on the signal strength and our psychological state

60
Q

What is Weber’s Law?

A

The principle that two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage to be perceived as different

61
Q

What are subliminal stimuli?

A

Stimuli that are below the threshold of conscious awareness and are not detectable 50% of the time

62
Q

What is priming in sensory perception?

A

The activation of certain associations, often unconsciously, influencing perception, memory, or response

63
Q

What is sensory adaptation?

A

Diminished sensitivity as a result of constant stimulation, helping us focus on new stimuli

64
Q

What is a perceptual set?

A

A predisposition or readiness to perceive stimuli in a particular way

65
Q

What does parapsychology study?

A

It studies paranormal phenomena such as ESP and psychokinesis

66
Q

What is extra sensory perception (ESP)?

A

The controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition

67
Q

What is the range of light energy visible to humans?

A

Humans can see light waves from about 400 nm to 700 nm

68
Q

How do wavelength and frequency affect light perception?

A

Short wavelengths result in high-frequency blue colors, and long wavelengths lead to low-frequency red colors

69
Q

How does the amplitude of light affect perception?

A

Greater amplitude results in brighter colors, while smaller amplitude results in duller colors

70
Q

What is the function of the cornea in vision?

A

The cornea is the clear, protective outer layer of the eye that allows light to enter

71
Q

What is the role of the pupil in vision?

A

The pupil is the adjustable opening that controls the amount of light entering the eye

72
Q

What is the iris’s role in vision?

A

The iris controls the size of the pupil opening to regulate light intake

73
Q

How does the lens of the eye function?

A

The lens focuses light on the retina by changing shape through accommodation

74
Q

What causes myopia (nearsightedness)?

A

Myopia occurs when the lens focuses images in front of the retina, making it hard to see distant objects

75
Q

What causes hyperopia (farsightedness)?

A

Hyperopia occurs when the lens focuses images behind the retina, making it hard to see close objects

76
Q

What is the retina’s function in the visual process?

A

The retina converts light into neural signals using rods and cones, which then send information to the brain

77
Q

What do rods do in the retina?

A

Rods detect black, white, and gray and are necessary for peripheral and twilight vision

78
Q

What is the function of cones in the retina?

A

Cones detect color and fine detail, functioning in daylight and concentrated in the fovea

79
Q

How do bipolar cells contribute to vision?

A

Bipolar cells transmit information from rods and cones to ganglion cells

80
Q

What role do ganglion cells play in vision?

A

Ganglion cells transmit visual information to the brain through the optic nerve

81
Q

What is the fovea?

A

The central focal point in the retina where cones are concentrated for sharpest vision

82
Q

What is the function of the optic nerve?

A

The optic nerve transmits visual information from the retina to the brain

83
Q

What is the blind spot?

A

The point where the optic nerve leaves the eye, lacking receptor cells, causing a blind spot in our vision

84
Q

What are the steps involved in visual stimulation?

A

Light passes through the cornea, lens, and retina; the optic nerve carries the signal to the brain for processing

85
Q

What is Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory?

A

It suggests that the retina has three color receptors sensitive to red, green, and blue, which combine to produce all colors

86
Q

What causes color blindness?

A

Color blindness occurs when individuals lack functioning red or green-sensitive cones, most commonly in males

87
Q

What is Hering’s opponent-process theory?

A

It suggests that opposing retinal processes (e.g., red-green, blue-yellow) enable color vision by inhibiting one color while stimulating another

88
Q

How does color processing occur?

A

The retina’s cones respond to different colors, and the brain processes this information through opponent-process cells

89
Q

What are feature detectors in vision?

A

Feature detectors are neurons that respond to specific aspects of a visual stimulus like shape, angle, or movement

90
Q

What are supercell clusters in vision processing?

A

Supercell clusters process complex patterns by receiving information from feature detectors

91
Q

What is parallel processing in visual perception?

A

Parallel processing involves processing various aspects of a visual stimulus, such as form, motion, color, and depth, simultaneously

92
Q

What is the concept of grandmother cells?

A

Grandmother cells are hypothetical neurons that respond to highly specific stimuli, such as recognizing a person

93
Q

What is the sequence of steps in how we “see”?

A

Light enters through the cornea, passes through the pupil and lens, and is processed by the retina, which sends information to the brain for interpretation

94
Q

What did Gestaltists contribute to the study of perception?

A

Gestalt psychologists established principles like figure-ground and grouping, demonstrating how the mind organizes stimuli

95
Q

What is figure-ground in visual perception?

A

Figure-ground refers to how the mind organizes the visual field into objects (figures) that stand out from their background (ground)

96
Q

What is grouping in visual perception?

A

Groupings are how the mind brings order to stimuli using rules like proximity, similarity, and continuity

97
Q

What is the principle of continuity in Gestalt perception?

A

Continuity refers to the tendency to perceive things as simple and continuous rather than complex or broken

98
Q

What is depth perception?

A

Depth perception is the ability to see objects in three dimensions and judge their distance, studied by Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk

99
Q

What did Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk study?

A

They researched innate depth perception in infants using the visual cliff experiment

100
Q

What are binocular cues in depth perception?

A

Binocular cues, like retinal disparity, depend on the use of both eyes to perceive depth

101
Q

What are monocular cues in depth perception?

A

Monocular cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, are available to each eye alone

102
Q

What does relative size indicate in depth perception?

A

When two objects are assumed to be of similar size, the one that casts a smaller retinal image is perceived as farther away

103
Q

What is linear perspective in depth perception?

A

Linear perspective is a monocular cue where the convergence of parallel lines suggests greater distance

104
Q

What is relative motion in depth perception?

A

Relative motion refers to how stationary objects appear to move when we are in motion

105
Q

What is convergence in binocular depth cues?

A

Convergence refers to the inward movement of the eyes when focusing on an object close to us

106
Q

What is stroboscopic movement?

A

Stroboscopic movement is the perception of continuous motion from a rapid series of slightly varying images, like in film and animation

107
Q

What is the phi phenomenon in motion perception?

A

The phi phenomenon is the illusion of movement created by two or more adjacent lights blinking on and off in quick succession

108
Q

What is perceptual constancy?

A

Perceptual constancy is recognizing objects as unchanging despite changes in lighting, size, and color

109
Q

What is color constancy?

A

Color constancy is perceiving familiar objects as having a consistent color, even under varying lighting conditions

110
Q

What is size constancy?

A

Size constancy is perceiving objects as having a constant size, even when the distance from them changes

111
Q

What is the critical period for vision development?

A

The critical period for normal sensory and perceptual development is between 0-2 years of age

112
Q

What is perceptual adaptation?

A

Perceptual adaptation is the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or inverted visual field

113
Q

What is audition?

A

Audition is the sense of hearing, where sound waves are detected and interpreted by the ear

114
Q

What is the relationship between frequency and pitch in sound?

A

Shorter wavelengths correspond to higher frequencies and higher-pitched sounds, while longer wavelengths result in lower frequencies and lower-pitched sounds

115
Q

What is the relationship between amplitude and loudness in sound?

A

Greater amplitude results in louder sounds, while smaller amplitude results in softer sounds

116
Q

What are the divisions of the ear?

A

The ear is divided into the outer, middle, and inner ear

117
Q

How does the ear transform sound energy into neural signals?

A

Sound energy is passed through the ear structures to the auditory receptors, where the vibrations trigger neural impulses that are sent to the brain

118
Q

What is the function of the eardrum (tympanic membrane)?

A

The eardrum vibrates when sound waves hit it, initiating the process of converting sound into neural signals

119
Q

What is the role of the ossicles in hearing?

A

The ossicles are the three smallest bones in the body that transfer sound vibrations from the eardrum to the cochlea

120
Q

What is the process of sound transduction in the ear?

A

Sound vibrations cause the basilar membrane to ripple in the cochlea, activating hair cells that send electrical impulses to the brain

121
Q

What is the cochlea’s role in hearing?

A

The cochlea is a fluid-filled, snail-shaped organ in the inner ear that transforms sound vibrations into neural signals

Psych 202 (7 decks)

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