Sensation And Perception Flashcards
absolute threshold
originally defined as the lowest level of a stimulus - light, sound, touch, etc. - that an organism could detect.
accommodation
adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
additive color theory
the combination of two of the standard three primary colors in equal proportions produces and secondary color
Auditory Canal (Ear Canal)
the area that sound waves pass through to reach the eardrum
basilar membrane
area within the cochlea where hair cells are located
binocular depth cues
clues about distance based on the differing views of the two eyes
bipolar cells
specialized cells which connect rods and cones to the ganglion cells of the optic nerve
brightness constancy
recognition that an object maintains the same color, even when different amounts of light fall on it
closure
the tendency to complete figures that are incomplete
cochlea
a snail-shaped structure in the inner ear that enables one to hear
color constancy
we understand that colors do not change despite different conditions of light
cones
neurons in the retina that are responsible for color vision
Constancy
the ability to maintain a constant perception of an object despite changes in direct appearance
Continuity
we perceive smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones
Convergence
the occurrence of two or more things coming together
Cornea
the transparent outer covering of the eye
Depth perception
ability to judge distance and three-dimensional relations
Ear drum
a tightly stretched membrane at the end of the ear canal that vibrates when hit by sound waves
False alarm
occurs when people “remember” an item that was not originally presented
Feature detectors
neurons that respond selectively to very specific features of more complex stimuli
Figure-ground
refers to our ability to distinguish foreground from background in visual images
Fovea
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster
Frequency
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second)
Frequency theory
The view that the basilar membrane vibrates at the same frequency as the sound wave
Ganglion cells
specialized cells that make up the optic nerve, receive signals from bipolar cells
Gate control theory
spinal cord contains a gate that either allows or blocks pain signals
Gestalt
an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.
Hair cells
specialized auditory receptor neurons embedded in the basilar membrane
hammer, anvil, stirrup (malleus, incus, stapes)
Middle ear
Inner ear
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs
Interposition
if one object partially blocks our view of another, we perceive it as closer
Iris
colored part of the eye
Just noticeable difference
the smallest change in the intensity of a stimulus that we can detect
Kinesthesis
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
Lens
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
Linear perspective
the tendency for parallel lines to appear to converge on each other
Monocular cues
depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone
Motion parallax
involves images of objects at different distances moving across the retina at different rates
Selective attention
Focus of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus (“cocktail party effect”). Ability to attend to one voice among many.
Inattentional blindness
Failure to notice visible objects when our attention is diverted elsewhere (gorilla video)
Change blindness
Failing to notice a visual change when our attention is devoted elsewhere (Person Swap example).
Gestalt Psychology
Focused on how our minds group things together and tend to look at the big picture.
Gestalt is focused on these five things:
Figure/ground, proximity, similarity, continuity, closure
Depth perception
Ability to see objects in three dimensions enables us to judge depth
Visual cliff
Once babies are old enough to crawl, they have developed depth perception and will not crawl off a cliff.
Monocular cues (five)
Linear perspective, interposition, relative size, relative height, light and shadow
Retinal disparity
A binocular cue in which our eyes each see a part of the image: The closer the image, the greater the disparity.
Convergence
As an object nears our faces, our eyes cross.
Phi phenomenon
Illusion of movement when two or more lights adjacent to one another blink on and off in quick succession.
Perceptual constancy
Perceiving objects as the same even as illumination and retinal image change color, shape, size.
Perceptual set
A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
Human factor psychology
Explores how people and products/machines interact
Parapsychology
The study of paranormal phenomena
Extrasensory perception
Controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input
