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MCAT: Behavioral Sciences > Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception Flashcards

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MCAT flashcards
1
Q

Sensation

A

~The conversion, or transduction, of physical, electromagnetic, auditory and other information from the internal and external environment into electrical signals in the nervous system.
~This is done by receptors in the PNS.
~The water is hot or cold.

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2
Q

Perception

A

~The processing of sensory information to make sense of its significance.
~Helps us make sense of the world.
~People might perceive hot or cold water differently.

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3
Q

Sensory Receptors

A

~Nerves that respond to stimuli and trigger electrical signals.
~Sensory stimuli are transmitted to projection areas.

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4
Q

Sensory Ganglia

A

~Collections of cell bodies outside the CNS.

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5
Q

Photoreceptors

A

~Respond to electromagnetic waves in the visible spectrum.

~Brightness, color and shape.

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6
Q

Hair Cells

A

Respond to movement of fluid in the inner ear structures.

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7
Q

Nociceptors

A

Respond to painful or noxious stimuli.

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8
Q

Thermoreceptors

A

Respond to changes in temperature.

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9
Q

Osmoreceptors

A

Respond to the osmolarity of the blood.

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10
Q

Olfactory Receptors

A

Respond to volatile compounds.

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11
Q

Taste Receptors

A

Respond to dissolve compounds.

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12
Q

Threshold

A

The minimum stimulus that causes a change in signal transduction.

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13
Q

Absolute Threshold

A

~The minimum intensity at which a stimulus will be transduced (converted into action potentials)
~Minimum stimulus energy that is needed to activate the sensory system.

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14
Q

Threshold of Conscious Perception/ Subliminal Perception

A

~The minimum stimulus energy that will create a signal large enough in size and long enough in duration to be brought into awareness.

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15
Q

Absolute Threshold vs Subliminal Perception

A

~A stimulus below the absolute threshold will not be transduced and will NOT reach the CNS.
~A stimulus bellow the subliminal perception will arrive to the CNS, but does not reach the part of the brain that controls attention and consciousness.

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16
Q

Difference Threshold/ Just-Noticeable Difference

A

~The minimum difference in magnitude between tow stimuli before one can perceive this difference.

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17
Q

Weber’s Law

A

~Relates to the difference threshold
~The jnd for a stimulus is proportional to the magnitude go this stimulus, and that this is proportion is constant over most of the range of possible stimuli.
~Difference/Original = 0.68
~This appears to be accurate for al sensory modalities, except at the extremely high and low ends of each range.

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18
Q

Signal Detection Theory

A

~Refers to the effects of nonsesnsory factors, such as experiences, motives and expectations, on perception of stimuli.
~Focuses on the change in out perception if the same stimuli depending on both internal (physiological) and external (environmental) context.

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19
Q

Response Bias

A

~Refers to the tendency of subjects to systematically respond to a stimulus in a particular way due to nonsensory factors.
~A significant of false alarms and misses in a signal detection experiment is an indication of response bias.

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20
Q

Signal Detection Experiments

A

~Catch Trials –> The signal is present.
~Noise Trials –> The signal is not present.
~If signal is present and subject’s response is YES then –> Hit.
~If signal is present and subject’s response is NO –> Miss.
~If signal is absent and subject’s response is YES –> False Alarm.
~If signal is absent and subject’s response is NO –> Correct Negative.

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21
Q

Adaptation

A

~Decrease in response to a stimulus over time. Both physiological and psychological component
~Increases the difference threshold.

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22
Q

Sclera

A

The white part of the eye.

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23
Q

Choroidal Vessels and Retinal Vessels

A

They supply the eye with nutrients.

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24
Q

Retina

A

~The innermost layer of the eye.

~Contains photoreceptors that transduce light into electrical information.

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25
Q

Cornea

A

~Light passes first through here.

~Gathers and focuses the incoming light.

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26
Q

Iris

A

~The colored part of the eye.
~Divides the front of the eye between the anterior and posterior chambers.
~Contains two muscles: dilator papillae and constrictor papillae.

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27
Q

Dilator Pupillae

A

Opens the pupil under sympathetic stimulation

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28
Q

Constrictor Pupillae

A

Constricts the pupil under parasympathetic stimulation.

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29
Q

Ciliary Body

A

Produces aqueous humor that bathes the front part of the eye before draining into the Canal of Sclemm

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30
Q

Lens

A

~Refracts incoming light to focus it on the retina and is help in place by the suspensory ligaments connected to the ciliary muscle.
~Behind this lies the vitreous –> a transparent gel that supports the retina.

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31
Q

Ciliary Muscle

A

~Contraction of this is done under the parasympathetic nervous system.
~When it contracts it pulls on the suspensory ligaments and changes the shape of the lens (accommodation)

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32
Q

Retina

A

~Is in the back of the eye.
~Consists of neural elements and blood vessels.
~Converts incoming photons of light to electrical signals.
Considered a part of the CNS
~Contains photoreceptors (duplexity or duplicity theory of vision).

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33
Q

Cones

A

~Comes in three forms (short-, medium- and long-wavelength) to detect colors.
~Senses fine details.

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34
Q

Rods

A

~Senses light and dark due to the fact that they contain rhodopsin.
~More functional in reduced illumination.
~Low sensitive to detail and are not involved in color vision, but permit night vision.
~There are more rods than cones in the human eye.

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35
Q

Macula

A

~The central section fo the retina.

~high concentration of cones.

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36
Q

Fovea

A

~Contains only cones.
~As you move farther away from the fovea, the concentration of rods increase while the concentration of cones decrease.
~Visual acuity is best here.

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37
Q

Bipolar Cells

A

~Rods and cones connect here.

~This synapses with ganglion cells.

38
Q

Ganglion Cells

A

~Each ganglion cell has to represent the combined activity of many rods and cones.
~Cones converging onto an individual ganglion cell is smaller than for rods; therefore, color vision has a greater sensitivity to fine detail.

39
Q

Optic Nerve

A

~Bipolar + Ganglion cells.

40
Q

Amacrine and Horizontal Cells

A

~Receive input from multiple retinal cells in the same area before the information is passed on to ganglion cells.
~They are important for edge detection, as they increase our perception of contrast.

41
Q

Visual Pathways

A

~Optic nerves –> optic chiasm –> optic tract –> LGN (hypothalamus) –> visual radiation (visual cortex).
~The optic chasm contains fibers crossing from the nasal side of the retina (Templar visual fields) of both eyes.

42
Q

Parallel Processing

A

~The ability to simultaneously analyze and combine information regarding color, shape and motion. Then, these features can be compared to our memories to determine what is being viewed.

43
Q

Color

A

~Cones are responsible for colored vision.

44
Q

Shape

A

~Detected by parvocellular cells.

45
Q

Parvocellular Cells

A

~They have high spatial resolution and low temporal resolution.
~They only work with stationary or slow-moving objects.

46
Q

Motion

A

~Detected by magnocellular cells.

47
Q

Magnocellular Cells

A

~They have high temporal resolution and low spatial resolution.
~Provide a blurry but moving image of an object

48
Q

Visual Path

A

Cornea –> pupil –> lens –> vitreous –> retina(rods and cones –> bipolar cells –> ganglion cells) –> optic nerve –> optic chiasm –> optic tract –> LGN in thalamus –> radiations through parietal temporal lobes –>visual cortex (occipital lobe).

49
Q

Pinna/ Auricle

A

~Cartilaginous outside part of the year.

~Channels sound waves into the external auditory canal..

50
Q

External Auditory Canal

A

Directs the sound waves to the tympanic membrane (eardrum).

51
Q

Tympanic Membrane

A

~The frequency of the sound waves determines the rate at which the tympanic membrane vibrates.
~High rates for higher frequencies and lower rates for lower frequencies.
~Louder sounds have greater intensity which corresponds to an increased amplitude of this vibration.

52
Q

Ossicle

A

~Malleus (hammer)
~Incus (anvil)
~Stapes (stirrup)

53
Q

Eustachian Tube

A

~The middle ear is connected to the nasal activity via this.

~Helps equalize pressure between the middle ear and the environment.

54
Q

Bony Labyrinth

A

~Cochlea.
~Vestibule.
~Semicircular Canals.
~They are continuous and are filled with membranous labyrinth (which is based with a potassium-rich fluid called the endolymph).

55
Q

Perilymph

A

~Helps the membranous labyrinth suspend within the bony labyrinth.
~Transmits vibrations from the outside world and cushions the inner ear structures.

56
Q

Cochlea

A

~Middle scala –> organ of Corti.

57
Q

Organ of Corti

A

~Houses the actual hearing apparatus.
~Bathed in endolymph.
~Rests on basilar membrane.

58
Q

Tectorial Membrane

A

~Relatively immobile membrane

~On top of the Organ of Corti.

59
Q

Sound Entering the Cochlea

A

~Sound enters through the Cochlea through the Oval Window and causes vibrations perilymph which are transmitted to the basilar membrane.

60
Q

Round Window

A

~A membranes covered hole in the cochlea

~Permits the perilymph to actually move within the cochlea.

61
Q

Hair Cells

A

~Allow the conversion of physical stimulus to electrical signals.
~Vibrations reach the basilar membrane –> hair cells move in the endolymph –> ion channels opening –> receptor potential

62
Q

Vestibule

A

~The portion of the bony labyrinth that contains utricle and saccule.
~Linear acceleration (determines one’s orientation in 3D space).
~Otoliths –> resist the motion. This bends and stimulates the hair cells.

63
Q

Semicircular Canals

A

~Rotational Acceleration.
~Are arranged perpendicular to each other.
~Ampulla are swollen ends.
~When the head rotates, endolymph in the semicircular canals resists this motion, bending the underlying hair cells.

64
Q

Auditory Pathways

A

~Most sound info passes through the vestibulucschler nerve to the brain stem –> MGN of the thalamus –> auditory complex –> Superior Olive (localizes the sound) or Inferior Colliculus (involved in the startle reflex and helps keep the eyes fixed on a point while the head is turned).

65
Q

Place Theory

A

~States that the location of a hair cell on the basilar membrane determines the perception of pitch when that hair cell is vibrated
~Highest Frequency –> vibrations closed to the oval window
~Lowest Frequency –> causes vibration in the apex (away form the oval window)

66
Q

Smell

A

~The detection of volatile or aerosolized chemicals by the olfactory chemoreceptors in the olfactory epithelium.
~Olfactory nerves –> Olfactory bulb and olfactory tract –> limbic system.
Pheromones are chemicals given off by animals that have an effect on social, foraging, and sexual behavior in other membranes of that species.

67
Q

Taste

A

~Sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (savory).
~Detected by chemoreceptors.
~The detection of dissolved compounds by taste buds in papillae.
~Taste buds –> brainstem –> taste center in the thalamus –> higher-order brain regions.

68
Q

Somatosensation

A

~Refers to the four touch modalities: pressure, vibration, pain and temperature.
~Pain and temperature use a different pathway than pressure and vibration through the spinal cord.

69
Q

Pacinian Corpuscles

A

Deep pressure and vibrations.

70
Q

Meissner Corpuscles

A

Light touch.

71
Q

Merkel Cells

A

Deep pressure and texture.

72
Q

Ruffini Endings

A

Stretch

73
Q

Free Nerve Endings

A

Pain and temperature.

74
Q

Two-Point Threshold

A

~The minimum distance necessary between two points of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli.
~This depends on the density of nerves.

75
Q

Physiological Zero

A

The normal temperature of the skin which objects are compared to determine if they feel “warm” or “cold”.

76
Q

Nociceptors

A

Responsible for pain perception.

77
Q

Gate Theory of Pain

A

Pain sensation is reduced when others somatosensory signals are present.

78
Q

Kinesthetic Sense

A

~The ability ti tell where one’s body is in 3D space.
~They are mostly found in muscles and joints.
~Plays critical roles in hand-eye coordination, balance and mobility.

79
Q

Bottom-Up Processing

A

~Data-driven.
~Parallel processing and feature detection.
~Slower, but less prone to mistakes.
~The brain takes the individual sensory stimuli and combines them together to create a cohesive image before determining what the object is.

80
Q

Top-Down Processing

A

~Conceptually driven.
~Driven by memories and expectations that allow the brain to recognize the whole object and then recognize the components based on these expectations.
~Faster, but its more prone to make mistakes.

81
Q

Perceptual Organization

A

~Refers to our synthesis of stimuli to make sense of the world, including integration of depth, form, motion and constancy
~Both monocular nd binocular cues.
~Monocular –> size, partial obscuring, convergence of parallel lines at a distance, position and lighting and shadowing.
~Binocular –> slight differences between two images.

82
Q

Form

A

Determined through parallel processing and feature detection.

83
Q

Constancy

A

We perceive certain characteristics of objects to remain the same, despite differences in the environment.

84
Q

Gestalt Principles

A

~Ways that the brain can infer missing parts of a picture when a picture is incomplete.
~Law of proximity, law of similarity, law of good continuation, subjective contours, law of closure and law of pragnanz.

85
Q

Law of Proximity

A

~The elements close to one another tend to be perceives as a unit.

86
Q

Law of Similarity

A

~Objects that are similar appear to be grouped together.

87
Q

Law of Good Continuation

A

~Elements that appear to follow the same pathway tend to be grouped together.

88
Q

Subjective Contours

A

~The perception of nonexistent edges in figures, based of surrounding visual cues.

89
Q

Law of Closure

A

~When a space is enclosed by a group of lines, it is perceived a complete or closed line.

90
Q

Law of Pragnanz

A

~Perceptual organization will always be as regular, simple, and symmetric as possible.

MCAT: Behavioral Sciences (3 decks)

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