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MCAT > Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception Flashcards

1
Q

Sensation

A

Conversion or transduction of physical, electromagnetic, auditory, and other information from the internal and external environment into electrical signals in the nervous system

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2
Q

Perception

A

Processing of sensory information to make sense of its significance

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3
Q

Sensory receptors

A

Nerves that respond to stimuli and trigger electrical signals

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4
Q

Sensory ganglia

A

Collection of cell bodies outside the central nervous system associated with sensory neurons

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5
Q

Projection areas

A

Sensory stimuli are transmitted to projection areas in the brain, which further analyze the sensory input

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6
Q

Threshold

A

Minimum stimulus that causes change in signal transduction

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7
Q

Absolute threshold

A

Minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate a sensory system

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8
Q

Threshold of conscious perception

A

Minimum of 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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9
Q

Difference threshold / just-noticeable threshold

A

Minimum difference in magnitude between two stimuli before one can perceive this difference

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10
Q

Weber’s Law

A

The just-noticeable difference for a stimulus is proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus and that this proportion is constant over most of the range of possible stimuli

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11
Q

Signal detection theory

A

Effects of nonsensory factors, such as experiences, motives, and expectations, on perception of stimuli. Detection theory or signal detection theory is a means to measure the ability to differentiate between information-bearing patterns and random patterns that distract from the information

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12
Q

Response bias

A

Bias is the extent to which one response is more probable than another. That is, a receiver may be more likely to respond that a stimulus is present or more likely to respond that a stimulus is not present. It can be hits, misses, false alarms, and correct negatives

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13
Q

Adaptation

A

Decrease in response to a stimulus over time

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14
Q

Eye

A

Organ specialized to detect light in form of photons

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15
Q

Cornea

A

Gathers and filters incoming light

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16
Q

Iris

A

Divides front of eye into anterior and posterior chambers. It has two muscles, the dilator and constrictor pupillae, which open and close the pupil.

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17
Q

Lens

A

Refract incoming light to focus it on the retina and is held in place by suspensory ligaments connected to the ciliary muscles

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18
Q

Aqueous humor

A

Produced by ciliary body and drains through canal of Schlemm

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19
Q

Rods

A

Detect light and dark

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20
Q

Cones

A

short-, medium-, long- , detect color

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21
Q

Macula

A

In the retina and corresponds to central visual field. Mostly has cones

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22
Q

Fovea

A

Center of macula and contains only cones

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23
Q

Rods and cones synapse on __________ which synapse on _________.

A
  1. Bipolar cells

2. Ganglion cells

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24
Q

Horizontal and amacrine cells

A

Integrate signals from ganglion cells and edge-sharpening

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25
Q

What support bulk of eye?

A

Vitreous on the inside and sclera and choroid on the outside

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26
Q

Visual pathway

A

Eye->optic nerves->optic chiasm->optic tracts->lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of thalamus->visual radiations->visual cortex

27
Q

Optic chiasm

A

Contains fibers crossing from nasal side of the retina (temporal visual fields) of both eyes

28
Q

Visual radiations run through ___

A

Parietal and temporal lobes

29
Q

Where is visual cortex?

A

Occipital lobe

30
Q

Parallel processing

A

All senses are processed this way. This is the simultaneuous analysis and combination of information.

31
Q

Parvocellular cells

A

Detect shape with high spatial resolution and low temporal resolution

32
Q

Magnocellular cells

A

Detect motion with low spatial resolution and high temporal resolution

33
Q

Divisions of ear

A

Inner, outer,middle ear

34
Q

Outer ear

A

pinna (auricle), external auditory canal, tympanic membrane

35
Q

Middle ear

A

Ossicles ( malleus, incus, stapes). Stapes rest on oval window of cochlea and middle ear is connected to nose via eustachian tubes

36
Q

Inner ear

A

Has the bony labyrinth, within which is the membranous labyrinth.

37
Q

Bony labyrinth

A

Filled with perilymph

38
Q

Membranous labyrinth

A

Has endolymph. It has the cochela, utricle, and saccule, semicircular canals

39
Q

Cochlea

A

Detects sound

40
Q

Utricle and saccule

A

Detect linear acceleration

41
Q

Semicircular canals

A

Detect rotational acceleration

42
Q

Auditory pathway

A

Cochlea-> vestibulocochlear nerve and medial geniculate nucleas (MGN) of thalamus–>auditory cortex in temporal lobe

43
Q

Superior olive

A

Sound information goes here for sound localization

44
Q

Inferior colliculus

A

Sound information goes here for startle reflex

45
Q

Olfactory chemoreceptors or olfacotry nerves

A

Detect volatile or aerosolized chemicals in olfactory epithelium

46
Q

Olfactory pathway

A

Olfacotry nerves –> olfactory bulb and tract–> higher order brain areas

47
Q

PHEROMONES

A

Chemicals given off by animals that have an effect on social, foraging, and sexual behavior in other members of that species

48
Q

Taste

A

Detection of dissolved compounds by taste buds in papillae. It comes in five modalities such as sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (savory).

49
Q

Somatosensation

A

Four touch modalities: pressure, vibration, pain, temperature

50
Q

Two-point threshold

A

Minimum distance necessary between two points of stimulation on the skin such that the points will be felt as two distinct stimuli

51
Q

Physiological zero

A

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

52
Q

Nociceptors

A

Responsible for pain perception

53
Q

Gate theory of pain

A

Pain sensation is reduced when other somatosensory signals are present

54
Q

Kinesthetic sense (proprioception)

A

Ability to tell where one’s body is in 3D space

55
Q

Bottom up (data driven) processing

A

Recognition of objects by parallel processing and feature detection. It is slower but less prone to mistakes

56
Q

Top-down (conceptually driven) processing

A

Recognition of an object by memories and expectations, with little attention to detail. It is faster, but more prone to mistakes.

57
Q

Gestalt principles

A

Way the brain can infer missing parts of a picture when a picture is incomplete

58
Q

Law of proximity

A

Elements close to one another tend to be perceived as a unit

59
Q

Law of similarity

A

Objects that are similar appear to be grouped together

60
Q

Law of good continuation

A

Elements that follow the same pathway tend to be grouped together

61
Q

Subjective contours

A

Perception of nonexistent edges in figures, based on surrounding visual cues

62
Q

Law of closure

A

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

63
Q

Law of praganz

A

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

MCAT (18 decks)

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