Sensation And Perception

Question 1

Perception

Answer 1

Interpretation of information entering our senses

Question 2

Transduction

Answer 2

Process by which stimulus is converted into neural signals

Question 3

Threshold

Answer 3

When physical event is strong enough to be detected

Ex) tv volume

Question 4

Absolute threshold

Answer 4

Smallest amount needed to determine stimulus is present

Question 5

Adaptation

Answer 5

Senses adapt to respond to changes in level of stimulus

Ex) vision at night

Question 6

Trichromatic theory

Answer 6

Young/Helmholtz theory

• Combo of neural sensors from three different sensors
• Some cones more responsive to yellow, greens, violets
• Mixture of signals looked at by brain

Question 7

Opponent process theory

Answer 7

Hering
-cells register color and inhibit complementary color
-some colors can’t be mixed
Afterimage example

Question 8

Color Blindness

Answer 8

Color weakness- usually difficulty distinguishing color, not complete lack of seeing color
Common in males
Majority can’t distinguish red from green
Caused by: missing cones, genes make similar pigment in cone, acquired achromotopsia(brain damage)

Question 9

Perceptual constancy

Answer 9

Size: know same object at diff distances EX) car
Shape: same shape even when viewed at diff angles EX) pen
Color: same color even when lights change EX) purple shirt

Question 10

Perceptual ambiguity

Answer 10

Perception may not always be accurate

• optical illusions
• learning based inference (use past experiences to interpret new info)

Question 11

Bottom up processing

Answer 11

Initiated by the stimuli

Question 12

Top down processing

Answer 12

Guided by knowledge, expectations, and beliefs
Knowledge of what color an object is supposed to be will effect how we see color
Ex) shade of color
Depends on what you were primed with

Question 13

Attention

Answer 13

We pay attention bc an event grabs our attention and actively searching
Selective attention/inattentional blindness
Change blindness: fail to notice change
Repetition blindness: difficult to detect when stimuli has occurred twice in rapid succession

Question 14

Phonemic restoration effect

Answer 14

• expectation influence what we hear
• fill in missing word
• top down processing

Question 15

Cocktail party phenomenon

Answer 15

Listening without being aware of it
Don’t start processing what your hearing until triggered
Bottom up processing

Question 16

Neural track

Answer 16

Thalamus- memory

Limbic system- emotions

Question 17

Reaction to smell

Answer 17

Flight or fight
Spoiled food
Pheromones

Question 18

Somatic senses

Answer 18

Proproioception
Equilibrioception
Tactioception
Thermoception
Nociception

Question 19

Proproioception

Answer 19

Movement and position of limbs

Question 20

Equilibrioception

Answer 20

Oriented to gravity/balance

Question 21

Tactioception

Answer 21

Pressure to skin (touch)

Question 22

Thermoception

Answer 22

Hot and cold

Question 23

Nociception

Answer 23

Pain

Question 24

Pain

Answer 24

Crucial for survival
Complexity of pain
-bottom up
-top down
Amount of pain people withstand is different
-twins: highly correlated, environment not genetics

Question 25

Senses working together

Answer 25

Taste and smell: combination for overall flavor of food

Visual: many other senses may work with or rely on some insight from visual sense, rubber hand illusion

Question 26

Synesthesia

Answer 26

Experience multiple perceptions with one stimuli

Ex) connecting colors and numbers

Question 27

Sensation

Answer 27

Information coming in throughout senses

-auditory, visual, smell, taste, somatic