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.
