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MCAT Psychology > Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception Flashcards

1
Q

Sensation

A

Refers to transduction, the conversion of physical, electromagnetic, auditory, and other information form our internal and external environment to electrical signals in the nervous system

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2
Q

Perception

A

The processing of sensory information to make sense of its significance

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3
Q

Distal stimuli

A

Stimuli that originate outside the body are called this before they reach the body

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4
Q

Proximal Stimuli

A

Directly interact with and affect sensory receptors, and inform the observer about the presence of a distal stimulus

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5
Q

Ganglia

A

Collections of neuron cell bodies found outside the central nervous system

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6
Q

Absolute Threshold

A

The minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate a sensory system

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7
Q

Subliminal Threshold

A

The perception of a stimulus below a given threshold. Usually this term refers to the threshold of conscious perception

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8
Q

Discrimination Testing

A

Used to analyze the limit in human perceptive ability. Difference between a current stimulus and an original is increased until the participant reports noticing a change.

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9
Q

Difference Threshold (Just Noticeable Difference)

A

The minimum difference in magnitude between two stimuli before one can perceive the difference

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10
Q

Weber’s Law

A

States that there is a constant ratio between the change in stimulus magnitude needed to produce and and the magnitude of the original stimulus

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11
Q

Signal Detection Theory

A

The concept that perception of stimuli can also be affected by non-sensory factors such as memory, motives, and expectations. Focuses on the changes in our perception of the same stimuli depending on both internal (psychological) and external (environmental) context

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12
Q

Response Bias

A

Refers to the tendency of subjects to systematically respond to a stimulus in a particular way due to non-sensory factors

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13
Q

Sclera

A

The white of an eye. Thick structural layer that covers most of the exposed portion of the eye

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14
Q

Retinal Vessel

A

One of two sets of blood vessels that supply nutrients to the eye

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15
Q

Choroidal vessels

A

A complex intermingling of blood vessels between the sclera and retina

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16
Q

Retina

A

The innermost layer of the eye, contains the photoreceptors that transduce light into electrical information the brain can process. Functions to convert incoming photons of light to electrical signals

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17
Q

Cornea

A

Clear, domelike window in the front of the eye which gathers and focuses the incoming light

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18
Q

Dilator Pupillae

A

One of two muscles in the iris. Opens the pupil under sympathetic stimulation

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19
Q

Constrictor Pupillae

A

Constricts the pupil under parasympathetic stimulation

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20
Q

Ciliary Body

A

Produces aqueous humor

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21
Q

Canal of Schlemm

A

The aqueous humor drains into this

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22
Q

Lens

A

Helps to control the refraction of incoming light

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23
Q

Accommodation

A

The process through which muscle contraction changes the shape of the lens

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24
Q

Vitreous

A

A transparent gel that supports the retina

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25
Duplexity/Duplicity Theory of light
States that the retina contains two kinds of photoreceptors: those specialized for light-and-dark detection and those specialized for color detection
26
Rhodopsin
The color pigment found in rods
27
Fovea
The centermost point of the retina that contains only cones. Visual acuity is best here
28
Bipolar cells
Rods and cones connect with these. They highlight gradients between adjacent rods and cones
29
Ganglion cells
Synapse with bipolar cells. They group together to form the optic nerve
30
Amacrine and horizontal cells
Receive input from multiple retinal cells in the same area before the information is passed on to ganglion cells. They can accentuate slight differences between the visual information in each bipolar cells Important because they increase our perception of contrasts
31
Optic chiasm
Where the fibers from the nasal half of each retina cross paths. They carry the temporal visual field from each eye
32
Optic Tracts
The pathway between the optic chiasma and the brain
33
Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)
Region of the thalamus that relays visual information from the optic chiasma to the occipital lobe
34
Superior colliculus
Controls some response to visual stimuli and reflexive eye movements
35
Parallel Processing
The ability to simultaneously analyze and combine information regarding color, shape, and motion.
36
Feature Detection
The neuroscience correlate of parallel processing. The idea that our visual pathways contain cells specialized in detection of color, shape, or motion
37
Parvocellular Cells
Detect shape. Have good spatial resolution but bad temporal resolution
38
Spatial Resolution
The ability to see very fine detail when thoroughly examining an object
39
Temporal resolution
The ability to detect fast moving objects
40
Magnocellular cells
Detect motion because they have very high temporal resolution. They have low spatial resolution
41
Pinna/Auricle
The cartilaginous outside part of the ear where sound first enters. It's main function is to channel sound into the external auditory canal
42
External auditory canal
Directs sound waves to the tympanic membrane
43
Tympanic Membrane (Eardrum)
Vibrates in phase with the incoming sound waves. The frequency of the sound wave determines there ate at which the tympanic membrane vibrates
44
Ossicles
Help transmit and amplify the vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear. The malleus, incus, and stapes
45
Malleus (Hammer)
Affixed to the tympanic membrane and acts on the incus
46
Incus (anvil)
Acts on the stapes
47
Stapes (stirrup)
Rests on the oval window of the cochlea, the entrance to the inner ear
48
Eustachean tube
Connects the middle ear to the nasal cavity. Serves to equalize pressure between the middle ear and the environment
49
Bony labyrinth
Contains the cochlea vestibule, and semicircular canals. The inner ear sits within it
50
Membranous labyrinth
Fills the cochlea, vestibule, and semicircular canals. Is filled with endolymph
51
Perilymph
Suspends the membranous labyrinth within the bony labyrinth. Transmits vibrations from the outside world and cushions the inner ear structures
52
Cochlea
The entrance of sound into this thing through the oval window causes vibrations in the perilymph. Eventually transmitting the vibrations to the hair cells on the organ of Corti.
53
Organ of Corti
The actual hearing apparatus. Composed of thousands of hair cells, bathed in endolymph
54
Basilar membrane
The thin, flexible tissue upon which the organ of Corti rests
55
Tectorial membrane
Sits on top of the organ of Corti
56
Round window
A membrane-covered hole in the cochlea that permits the perilymph to actually move within the cochlea
57
Auditory (vestibulocochlear) nerve
Carry electrical auditory signal to the CNS
58
Vestibule
The portion of the bony labyrinth that contains the utricle and saccule
59
Utricle and Saccule
Sensitive to linear acceleration and are used as a part of the balancing apparatus, and to determine orientation in 3D space
60
Otoliths
Hair cells found in the utricle and ssaccule with resist motion as the body accelerates, bending and stimulating the underlying hair cells, sending a message to the brain
61
Semicircular canals
Sensitive to rotational acceleration,
62
Ampulla
Swellinga the the end of the semicircular canals
63
Medial geniculate nucleus (MGN)
Relay system between the brainstem and the auditory cortex
64
Superior olive
Localizes sound
65
Inferior colliculus
Involved in the startle reflex and helps keep the eyes fixed on a point while the head is turned
66
Place theory
Accepted theory of sound perception. Hypothesizes that the location of a hair cells on the basilar membrane determines the perception of pitch when that hair cells is vibrated. The highest frequency pitches cause vibrations of the basilar membrane very close to the oval window, whereas low frequency pitches cause vibrations at the apex, away from the oval window
67
Tonotypical organization
Which hair cells vibrate gives the brain and indication of the pitch of the sound
68
Olfactory bulb
Activated olfactory effectors signal this structure.
69
Olfactory tract
Relays signal to higher regions of the brain, including the limbic system
70
Taste buds
Groups of cells that serve as taste receptors. Found on papillae
71
Papillae
Bumps on the tongue
72
Pacinian corpuscles
Respond to deep pressure and vibration
73
Meissner Corpuscles
Respond to light touch
74
Merkel Cells (discs)
Respond to deep pressure and texture
75
Ruffini Endings
Repsond to stretch
76
Free nerve endings
Respond to pain and temperature
77
Two-point threshold
Minimum distance necessary between two points of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli
78
Physiological zero
The normal temperature of the skin (86-95 deg. Fahrenheit)
79
Nociceptors
The receptors most commonly responsible for sending pain signals
80
Gate Theory of Pain
Proposes that there is a special gating mechanism that can turn pain signal on or off. The spinal cord is able to preferentially forward the signals from touch modalities to the brain, reducing the sensation of pain
81
Proprioception (kinesthetic sense)
The ability o tell where one's body is in space
82
Bottom-up (Data-driven) processing
Refers to object recognition by parallel processing and feature detection. The brain takes individuals sensory stimuli and combines them together to create a cohesive image before determining what the object is
83
Top-down (conceptually driven) processing
Driven by memories and expectation that allow the brain to recognize the whole object and then recognize the components based on these expectations
84
Perceptual organization
The ability to use top-down and bottom-up processing in tandem with all of the other sensory clues about an object to create a complex picture or idea
85
Object form
Determined through parallel processing and feature detection
86
Constancy
The idea that we perceive certain objects to remain the same, despite differences in the environment
87
Gestalt principle
The idea that there are ways for the brain to infer missing parts of a picture when a picture in incomplete
88
The law of proximity
Says that elements close to one another tend to be perceived as a unit
89
The law of similarity
Says that objects that are similar tend to be grouped together
90
The law of good continuation
Says that elements that appear to follow in the same pathway tend to be grouped together. There is a tendency to perceive continuous patterns in stimuli rather than abrupt changes
91
Subjective contours
Perception of contours (and shapes) that are not actually present in the stimulus
92
Law of closure
Says that when a space is enclosed by a contour it tends to be perceived as a complete figure.
93
Law of Pragnanz
Says that perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as possible

MCAT Psychology (12 decks)

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