sensation and perception Flashcards
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
perception
the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent sti,ulus energies from our environment
sensation
analysis that begins with the sense receptors and works up to the brains integration of sensory information
bottom up processing
information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
top down processing
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity and our psychological experience of them
psychophysics
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
absolute threshold
a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation
signal detection theory
below one’’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness
subliminal
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time
difference threshold
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage
weber’s law
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
sensory adaptation
conversion of one form of energy into another
transduction
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next
wavelength
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light
hue
the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the waves amplitude
intensity
the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
pupil
a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
iris
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
lens
the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
accommodation
the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
retina
the sharpness of vision
ACUITY
a condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because distant objects focus in front of the retina
nearsightedness
a condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the image of near objects is focused behind the retina
farsightedness
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray
rods
receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions
cones
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
optic nerve
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there
blind spot
the central focal point in the retina around which the eyes cones cluster
fovea
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulis, such as shape, angle, or movement
feature detectors
the processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brains natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision
parallel processing
the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors which when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color
young-helmholtz trichromatic theory
three color theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision
opponent-process theory
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
color constancy
the sense of hearing
audition
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
frequency
a tones highness or lowness
pitch
the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochleas oval windows
middle ear
the innermost part of the ear containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs
inner ear
a coiled, bony, fluid-filed tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses
cochlea
the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated
place theory
the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tune, thus enabling us to sense its pitch
frequency theory
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
conduction hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerve
sensorineural hearing loss
the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain
gate control theory
the principle that one sense may influence another
sensory interaction
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
kinesthesis
the sense of body movement and posuition, including the sense of balance
vestibular sense
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
selective attention
the tendency for vision to dominate the other senses
visual capture
an organized whole
gestalt
the organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings
figure-ground
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
grouping
the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional
depth perception
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
visual cliff
depth cues, such as retinal disparity and convergence that depend on the use of two eyes
binocular cues
distance cues, such as linear perspective and overlapp, available to either eye alone
monocular cues
a binocular cue for perceiving depth by comparing images from the 2 eyeballs,, the brain disparity
retinal disparity
a binocular cue for perceiving depth; the extent to which the eyes converge inward-when looking at an object
covergence
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in succession
phi phenomenon
perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change
perceptual constancy
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
perceptual adaptation
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
perceptual set
a branch of psychology that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be adapted to human behaviors
human factors psychology
the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input
extrasensory perception (ESP)
the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis
parapsychology
telepathy
mind to mind communication
clairvoyance
can perceive remote events
precognition
can perceive future events
opponent process theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision
sensory adaptation
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
proximity
we group nearby figures together
similarity
figures similar to each other we group together
continuity
we perceive smooth, continuous patters rather than discontinuous ones
connectedness
when they are uniform and linked we perceive spots lines or areas as a single unit
closure
we fill in gaps to create a complete whole object
