Sensation And Perception Flashcards
1
Q
Necker Cube
A
- Cannot hold 2 competing perceptions simultaneously
- Brain picks which perception to see
- Cannot see the cube in all ways @ the same time
2
Q
Prosopagnosia
A
- Face blindness
- Example of how sensation can happen without perception
- Can see faces (sensation) but cannot recognize them (perception)
3
Q
Types of Processing
A
- How we arrive at perception
- Top-down
- Bottom-up
4
Q
Basic Principles of Sensation
A
- Energy stimulates sensory receptor cell (different forms depending on what sense)
- Receptor cells uniquely suit organism
- Use specialized neural pathways (only communicate a single sensation)
- Receptor cells uniquely suit organism
- Receptor cell–> sensory neuron
- If stimulus is strong enough (meets/exceeds threshold), receptor cell sends message to sensory neuron
- Sensory neuron–> cortex
- Info communicated to appropriate area of cortex for processing (thalamus) to lobes
5
Q
Variations in Sensation
A
- # of neurons firing
- Which neurons are activated/inhibited
- rate @ which they fire
- NOT DUE TO INTENSITY OF A SINGLE NEURON FIRING
- all-or-one principle
6
Q
Light waves
A
- Waves have different:
- Amplitude: high of wave
- Determines brightness/ intensity (higher= brighter and vice versa)
- Wave length
- Distance between waves
- Determines color/hue
- Distance between waves
- Amplitude: high of wave
7
Q
Cornea
A
- Outer-covering of the eye
- Function: to protect the eye
8
Q
Types of photoreceptors
A
- Rods
- cones
9
Q
Blindsight
A
- Rare neurological disorder where cannot consciously see, but feature receptors work (can identify motion, colors etc)
- Emphasizes parallel processing (visual info is handled consciously and unconsciously)
10
Q
Color Blindness
A
- Person is color-deficient
- Lack one or more types of cones
11
Q
After-Image Affect
A
- Tire neural response to a certain color, so see opposite
- Supports opponent-process theory
12
Q
Visual Organization
A
- “Gestalt”: form or whole
- Clusters of sensations are grouped together
- The whole exceeds the sum of its part
13
Q
Gestalt Principles/ Form perception
A
- Figure and ground
- Grouping makes outlier stand out
- Proximity
- Continuity
- Closure
- Similarity
- Connectedness
- An organized whole
- Emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
14
Q
Depth Perception cues
A
- Binocular cues
- Monocular cues
15
Q
Types of Constancy
A
- How constant visuals are
- Shape
- Size
- Color/brightness
16
Q
Shape constancy
A
-Able to see shapes despite changing angles
17
Q
Size constancy
A
-Size remains constant even when something is closer or farther away and visual size is changing
18
Q
Sound Waves
A
- Amplitude: volume (higher=louder and vice versa)
- frequency(how many times wave passes though a given point)= pitch (how high or low something sounds)
- lower pitch= long wavelength= lower frequency
- Higher pitch= short wavelength= higher frequency
19
Q
Echolocation
A
- Uses sound waves to navigate environment
- Bats and Dolphins
20
Q
Steps of sound waves passing though the ear
A
- Funneled into cartilage of outer ear (pinna)
- Captures sound waves and move to ear canal
- Eardrum (stretched skin)
- Vibrates in response to sound waves
- Middle ear (Ossicles)
- Hammer
- Anvil
- Stirrup (attached to oval window)
- Capture vibrations and send them through the oval window to cochlea
- Cochlea
- Where transduction occurs
21
Q
Hair cells in ear
A
- Activated by movement of basilar membrane
- Damage accounts for most hearing loss
- Hair cells produce neural info and send to adjacent cells
- Activate nerve cells whose axons converge to auditory nerve
22
Q
Volume
A
- Number of hair cells activated
- Waves with more amplitude activate more hair cells and vice versa
23
Q
Sound localization
A
- The ability to identify the location a sound is coming from (close, far, left, right)
- Monaural vs binaural cues
24
Q
Monaural cues
A
- One ear
- Changes in volume
- Closer or farther from something
25
Binaural Cues
- 2 ears
- Comparison
- Volume
- Timing
- Sound to your left ear will hit left ear 1st and be louder, then hit right ear and be softer
26
Pitch Discrimination Theories
- What allows ears to record wavelength and determine pitch
- Place theory
- Frequency theory
- Work together to discriminate pitches
27
Issue w/ Frequency Theory
- Single neuron can't fire faster than 1,000 times per second (refractory period)
- Some sound waves travel faster than this
28
Solution to Frequency Theory
- Volley principle
- Neural cells in cochlea alternate firing- team up
- Neurons can fire in rapid successions and achieve a combined frequency
- How it can explain high and low pitches
29
Taste
- Different types of taste
- Not on distinct "zones"
- Serve an evolutionary purpose
30
Sweet
-Presence of sugar--> energy source
31
Salty
-Presence of sodium--> needed for physiological processes
32
Sour
- Potentially toxic acid
| - Usually enjoyed in moderation
33
Bitter
-Potential poison
34
Umami
- savory "meaty"
| - Presence of protein--> needed for muscle/tissue repair
35
Top-down processing of tastes
- Visual appearance (color, texture)
- Price
- Expectation (color of food leads to expected taste
36
Olfaction
-Smell
37
Receptor Proteins
- 305+ embedded on surface of nasal cavity neurons
- Odor molecules= key
- Receptor protein= lock
- Combination= pattern brain interprets
38
Breakdown of olfaction
1. Odorants bind to receptor proteins
2. Olfactory receptor cells are attached and send electrical signals
3. Signals relayed via converged axons
4. Signals transmitted to higher regions of brain (bypass thalamus)
39
Smell is Evocative
- Smell is the most evocative of all the senses (*most easily triggers)
- Emotional connection
- Recalls memories
- Why?
- Anatomical reason (smell talks directly to memory center of brain)
- Evolutionary reason
- Could indicate life or death (food smells bad, could make you sick)
- Mark territory
40
Chemical signature
- Unique to individuals
- How animals track
- Each person has a unique chemical signature, except identical twins
- Develop preference though experience
- Nursing babies
41
Odor detection
- Women have a better sense of smell than men
| - Sharpest at ages 20-40
42
Touch and Why it is Vital
- Stimulates infant development (HGH)
- Pituitary gland, hypothalamus
- Comforting (Harlow)
- Formation of attachment, release of oxytocin
- Kangaroo care
- Premies need human touch(swaddle them with parent)
43
Basic Receptors
1. Pressure
2. Pain
3. Warmth
4. Cold
44
Other Sensations
Tickle- Adjacent pressure spots
Itch- gentle stroking of pain spot
False hot- nearby cold and warmth spots
False wet sensation- adjacent cold and pressure
45
Top Down Processing with Touch
- Can't tickle yourself
- Less somatosensory cortical activation when expecting
- Rubber Hand Illusion
- Visual feedback impacts perception
46
Pain
- Good thing
- Alerts us when something is wrong
- Inability to feel pain= problem
- Joints suffer undue stress
47
Nociceptors
-Sensory receptors that detect hurtful temps, pressure, chems
48
Controlling Pain
- Distraction influences pain
- Sports injuries
- Nurses chat with patients whilst administering shots
49
Memory and Pain
- Overlook how long pain lasts
| - Recall peak pain
