Sensation and Perception Flashcards
A process that occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are
activated, converting outside stimuli into neural signals.
SENSATION
The process of converting outside stimuli into neural signals
TRANSDUCTION
Specialized neurons stimulated by different kinds of energy. Each receptor
type transduces the physical information into electrical information.
SENSORY RECEPTORS
A neurological condition where senses start to
merge
SYNESTHESIA
two types of sensory threshold
difference and absolute
The smallest difference
between two stimuli that is
detectable 50% of the time.
DIFFERENCE
THRESHOLD
Lowest level of stimulation that
a person can consciously
detect 50% of the time the
stimulation is present.
ABSOLUTE
THRESHOLD
Stimuli that are below the level of conscious awareness
SUBLIMINAL STIMULI
Processing a stimulus without conscious awareness
SUBLIMINAL PERCEPTION
Used to assess our judgments,
or the decisions we make,
under uncertain conditions.
SIGNAL DETECTION THEORY
Tendency of the brain to stop attending to
constant, unchanging information
HABITUATION
Tendency of sensory
receptor cells to
become less
responsive to a
stimulus that is
unchanging.
SENSORY ADAPTATION
Protects eye and bends light for focus
Cornea
Clear liquid that nourishes the eye
Aqueous humor
Controls the amount of the eye; controls pupil size
Pupil
Colored part of the eye; controls pupil size
Iris
Adjusts shape to focus light
Lens
Jelly-like fluid that maintains eye shape
Vitreous humor
Inner layer of the eye with photoreceptors
Retina
Area of sharpest vision (most cones)
Fovea
Sends visual signals to the brain
Optic nerve
Area in the retina with no photoreceptors where the optic
nerve exits the eye.
Blind spot
Detect black,
white, and gray
(night vision).
Rods
Detect color (red,
blue, green)
Cones
Sends signals to the same side of the
brain.
Temporal retina (outer part)
Sends signals to the opposite
side of the brain.
Nasal retina (inner part, near the nose)
The point where some optic nerve fibers cross over to the
other side.
Optic chiasm
Visual Pathway to the Brain
Optic Nerve, Optic Chiasm, Optic Tract, Thalamus, Optic Radiations, Visual Cortex
Theory that says three types of cones detect red, blue, and green light. Color is perceived by combining the activity of these cones
Trichromatic Theory (Young-Helmholtz)
Theory that says four primary colors: red-green and blue-yellow pairs. If one color in a pair is activated, the other is inhibited
Opponent-Process Theory (Hering, 1874)
Caused by defective cones in the retina
Color Blindness
Vibrations of air molecule
Sound
determines pitch (measured in
Hz)
Frequency (Wavelength)
determines loudness (measured in dB)
Amplitude
determines sound quality
Timbre
Human hearing range
20 Hz – 20,000 Hz
Funnels sound waves into
the ear.
Outer Ear (Pinna &
Auditory Canal)
Amplifies vibrations from the
eardrum.
Middle Ear (Ossicle:
Hammar, Anvil, Stirrup)
Converts vibrations into
neural signals.
Inner Ear (Cochlea &
Basilar Membrane)
Send signals to the brain
processing
Auditory Nerve
Theory saying that pitch depends on where hair cells are activated in the cochlea.
Place Theory
Theory saying pitch depends on how fast the
basilar membrane vibrates.
Frequency
Theory
Theory saying that groups of neurons take turns in firing to process frequencies.
Volley Principle
Problems in the outer or middle
ear (e.g., damaged eardrum or
ossicles) ; Sound cannot reach the
cochlea properly.
CONDUCTION HEARING
IMPAIRMENT
Damage to the inner ear auditory nerve, or brain.
Aging, loud noise exposure,
infections, or genetic factors.
NERVE (SENSORINEURAL)
HEARING IMPAIRMENT
Also known as Gustation
TASTE
Special cells that detect taste,
surrounded by nerve endings
Receptor cell
Tiny hairs that send taste signals to
the brain
Taste hair
The spot where food dissolved in
saliva meets taste receptors
Taste pore
Cells in taste buds that provide
support but don’t detect taste
Supporting cell
The surface of is covered with taste buds and visible the tongue
bumps
called papillae
Outer layer of tongue
Helps sense temperature
taste, and pain
Nerve fiber
The ability to smell odors
olfaction
Sends smell signals from the nose to the brain
Olfactory Bulb
Helps detect smells
Cilia of receptor cell and nerve fiber
Passes smell signals to the brain
Olfactory epithelium
Traps dirt and particles to keep
the nose clean
Cilia
Provides support for
smell receptors
Supporting cell
The body’s largest organ; protects
against bacteria, heat, and other dangers
Skin surface
Protects the skin and helps regulate body
temperature
Hair
Sense temperature, touch,
pressure, and pain
Free nerve endings
Three layers: epidermis, dermis, and
hypodermis
Skin layers
Detects light, touch, and vibrations
Meissner’s corpuscle
Produces sweat to cool the body
Sweat gland
Senses stretch and warmth
Ruffini ending
Detects vibrations and
textures
Pacinian corpuscle
Supply nutrients and control
temperature
Blood vessels
Keeps the body warm and
absorbs shocks
Subcutaneous fat
What theory is this? Pain signals pass through a
“gate” in the spinal cord. Endorphins can inhibit pain by blocking substance P.
GATE-CONTROL THEORY OF PAIN
Kinesthesia and proprioception provide awareness of body
movement and position. The vestibular system in the inner ear helps with balance.
BODY MOVEMENT AND POSITION
Method by which the sensations
experienced at any given moment are
interpreted and organized in some
meaningful fashion
PERCEPTION
THREE CONSTANCIES OF PERCEPTION
SIZE, SHAPE AND BRIGHTNESS
The tendency to interpret an object as always being the same size,
regardless of its distance
SIZE CONSTANCY
The tendency to interpret the shape of an object as constant, even when
the shape changes on the retina
SHAPE CONSTANCY
The tendency to perceive the apparent brightness of an object as the
same, even when the light conditions change
BRIGHTNESS CONSTANCY
The tendency to perceive objects as existing on a
background as people seem to have a preference for picking
out figures from backgrounds even as early as birth.
FIGURE-GROUND RELATIONSHIPS
Visual illusions in
which the figure and
ground can be
reversed
REVERSIBLE
FIGURES
The tendency to perceive objects that are
close to each others part of the same
grouping
PROXIMITY
The tendency to perceive things that look
similar to each other as being part of the
same group
SIMILARITY
Tendency to complete figures that are
incomplete
CLOSURE
The tendency to perceive things as simply
as possible with a continuous pattern
rather than with a complex, broken-up
pattern
CONTINUITY
The tendency to perceive two things that
happen close together in time as being
related. Involved not just nearness in space
but nearness in time also
CONTIGUITY
The tendency is to perceive objects that are
in a common area or region as being in a
group.
COMMON REGION
The capability to see the
world in three dimensions
DEPTH PERCEPTION
Cues for perceiving depth
based on one eye only
MONOCULAR CUES
The tendency for parallel lines to appear to
converge on each other
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE
Perception that occurs when objects that a
person expects to be of a certain size appear
to be small, hence, they are assumed to be
farther away.
RELATIVE SIZE
The assumption that an object that appears
to be blocking part of another object is in
front of the second object.
INTERPOSITION
The haziness that surrounds objects that are
farther away from the viewer, causing the
distance to be perceived as greater.
AERIAL PERSPECTIVE
The tendency for textured surfaces to appear to
become smaller and finer as distance from the
viewer increases.
TEXTURE GRADIENT
The perception of motion of objects in which close
objects appear to move more quickly than
objects that are farther away.
MOTION PARALLAX
Also known as Muscular Cue. The brain’s use of
information about the changing thickness of the
lens of the eye in response to looking at objects
that are close or far away.
ACCOMODATION
Cues for perceiving depth
based on both eyes
BINOCULAR CUES
Rotation of the two eyes in their sockets to focus on a single object,
resulting in greater
CONVERGENCE
A scientific way of saying that because the eyes are apart, they don’t see exactly the same images.
BINOCULAR DISPARITY
Perception that does not correspond to reality
PERCEPTUAL ILLUSIONS
When a small, stationary light in a darkened room will appear to move or drift due to the
lack of surrounding cues indicating the light is actually NOT moving
AUTOKINETIC EFFECT
The phenomenon when a rapid series of still pictures will seem to be in motion.
STROBOSCOPIC MOTION
When lights are turned on in a sequence it appears to move smoothly.
PHI PHENOMENON
The movement of an image despite its static nature
STATIC MOTION
The tiny involuntary movements of
the eyes.
Microsaccades
May cause the brain to interpret
motion based on the conflicting colors seen
Contrasting Colors
Caused because of people’s tendency to perceive things a
certain way.
PERCEPTUAL EXPECTANCY
The use of existing knowledge to organize individual
features into a unified whole.
TOP-DOWN PROCESSING
The analysis of smaller features and building it up to
complete a perception.
BOTTOM-UP PROCESSING
