Sensation and Perception Flashcards
Sensation
Conversion or transduction of physical, electromagnetic, auditory, and other information from the internal and external environment into electrical signals in the nervous system
Perception
Processing of sensory information to make sense of its significance
Sensory receptors
Nerves that respond to stimuli and trigger electrical signals
Structures sensory neurons are associated with
Sensory Ganglia
Sensory Ganglia
Collection of cell bodies outside the central nervous system
Place to which sensory stimuli are transmitted to
Projection areas in the brain
Projection Areas
Areas in brain that further analyze the stimulus after receipt of sensory stimuli.
Common sensory receptors
Photoreceptors, hair cells, nociceptors, thermoreceptors, osmoreceptors, olfactory receptors, and taste receptors
Threshold
Minimum signal that causes a change in signal transduction
Absolute threshold
Minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate a sensory system
Threshold of conscious perception
Minimum of stimulus of energy that will create a signal large enough in size and long enough in duration to be brought into awareness
Difference threshold
AKA just-noticeable difference: Minimum difference between two stimuli before one can distinguish the difference
Weber’s Law
states that the just noticeable difference (JND) is proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus and that this proportion is constant over most of the range of stimuli
Signal Detection Theory
Refers to the effects of nonsensory factors such as experiences, motives and expectations on perception of stimuli.
Allows us to look at response bias.
Adaptation
Refers to a decrease in response to a stimulus over time.
Cornea
Gathers and filters incoming light
Iris
Divides the front of the eye into the anterior and posterior chamber
Two parts of Iris
Dilator and constrictor pupillae, which open and close the pupils
Lens
Refracts incoming light to focus it on the retina
Structure that holds lens in place
Suspensory ligaments
Structure to which suspensory ligaments are connected
Ciliary Muscles
Structure that produces aqueous humor
Ciliary body
Structure through which aqueous humor drains
Canal of Schlemm
Photo-receptors in Retina
Rods and Cones
3 Forms of Cones
Detect light in 3 forms (short, medium and long wavelength)
Cells to which rods and cones attach
Bipolar Cells
Cells to which bipolar cells attach
Ganglion cells
Functions of Horizontal and Amacrine cells in the visual system
They integrate signals from ganglionic cells and sharpen the edge of the received signals
Liquid that supports the inner eye structures
vitreous
Structures that support the outer eye structures
choroid and sclera
Visual pathway
Eye, optic nerves, optic chiasm, optic tracts, lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus, visual radiations, visual cortex
Lobes through which visual radiations run through
temporal and parietal
Parallel processing
Ability to simultaneously analyze and combine information regarding color, shape and motion
Visual structure that detects shape
Parvocellular cells
Has high spatial resolution and low temporal resolution
Visual structure that detects motion
Magnocellular cells
High temporal resolution, low spatial resolution
