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AP Psychology > Sensation and Perception (Modules 17-22) > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception (Modules 17-22) Flashcards

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1
Q

Sensation

A

The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

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2
Q

Perception

A

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

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3
Q

Bottom-Up Processing

A

Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information

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4
Q

Top-Down Processing

A

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations

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5
Q

Describe an example that illustrates the difference between sensation and perception.

A

A frog’s receptor cells in the eyes fire only in response to small, dark moving objects. If the frog is surrounded by motionless flies, it could starve to death.

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6
Q

Absolute Thresholds

A

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

Ex. Smelling a single drop of perfume in a three-room apartment

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7
Q

Signal Detection Theory

A

A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and detection depends on experience.

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8
Q

Subliminal

A

Below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

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9
Q

Priming

A

The activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory or response

Ex. Liking someone more because they give you free food

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10
Q

Difference Threshold

A

The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference.

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11
Q

Weber’s Law

A

The principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)

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12
Q

Sensory Adaptation

A

Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

Ex. Moving your watch up your wrist an inch and feeling it only for a few moments

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13
Q

Why do we have sensory adaptation – what is its important benefit?

A

It gives us the freedom to focus on informative changes in our environment.

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14
Q

Wavelength determines ___.

A

Frequency

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15
Q

Hue

A

The dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light, or the colors as we know them (blue, green, etc.)

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16
Q

Amplitude determines what?

A

Intensity of colors

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17
Q

Intensity

A

The amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude

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18
Q

Cornea

A

The transparent layer forming the front of the eye

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19
Q

Pupil

A

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

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20
Q

Iris

A

A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening

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21
Q

Lens

A

The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

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22
Q

Retina

A

The light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information

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23
Q

Accommodation

A

The process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

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24
Q

Rods

A

Retinal receptors that detect black, white and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond

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25
Q

Cones

A

Retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and allow color sensations.

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26
Q

Bipolar Cells

A

Neural signals from chemical changes in rods and cones activate bipolar cells.

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27
Q

Ganglion Cells

A

Bipolar cells activate ganglion cells.

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28
Q

Optic Nerve

A

The nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

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29
Q

Blind Spot

A

The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there

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30
Q

Fovea

A

The central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster

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31
Q

After being processed in the retina, the optic nerve carries vision information to what part of the brain?

A

Thalamus

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32
Q

Feature Detectors

A

Hubel and Wiesel. Nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle or movement.

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33
Q

Parallel Processing

A

The processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing

Ex. Recognizing a face

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34
Q

Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

A

The theory that the retina contains three different color receptors which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color

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35
Q

Three colors our eyes are sensitive to according to Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

A

Red, Green and Blue

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36
Q

According to this theory, what causes colorblindness?

A

Lack of functioning red- or green-sensitive cones or both.

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37
Q

Opponent-Process Theory

A

Hering. The theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision.

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38
Q

3 sets of colors according to Opponent-Process Theory

A

Red-green, yellow-blue, black-white

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39
Q

Afterimages

A

The image you see after staring at something for a while then looking at a white surface. The afterimages are in the inverse color. If the original color was red, the afterimage would be green.

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40
Q

Audition

A

The sense or act of hearing

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41
Q

Amplitude determines ___.

A

Volume

42
Q

Frequency determines ___.

A

Pitch

43
Q

What is sound measured in?

A

Decibels

44
Q

Eardrum

A

Thin, cone-shaped membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear

45
Q

Three bones in middle ear

A

Hammer, anvil, stirrup

46
Q

Cochlea

A

A coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses

47
Q

Vibrations cause the cochlea’s membrane to shake. This causes ripples in the ___, bending the ___ lining its surface.

A

Basiliar membrane, hair cells

48
Q

Hair cells convert the messages into neurons that are then sent by the ___ to the thalamus, then onto the ___ cortex in the ___ lobe.

A

auditory nerve, auditory, temporal

49
Q

What is the difference between sensorineural hearing loss and conduction hearing loss?

A

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear whereas conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the outer ear.

50
Q

Cochlear implant

A

A device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea

51
Q

How do we interpret loudness of a sound?

A

Number of activated hair cells

52
Q

Place Theory

A

In hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated

53
Q

Frequency Theory

A

In hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

54
Q

Volley Principle

A

Neural cells can alternate firing

55
Q

How do we locate the source of sounds?

A

One ear hearing a sound slightly more intense and slightly sooner

56
Q

What are the four distinct skin senses that make up touch?

A

Pressure, warmth, cold and pain

57
Q

Kinesthesia

A

The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

58
Q

Vestibular Sense

A

The sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

59
Q

Where are the biological parts for your sense of equilibrium located?

A

Inner ear

60
Q

Why do you need to feel pain?

A

It is a signal that something is wrong.

61
Q

Gate Control Theory

A

For pain, the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass onto the brain

62
Q

What are phantom limb sensations?

A

When the body misinterprets the spontaneous central nervous system activity that occurs in __

63
Q

List two examples of psychological influences of pain

A

1) Visibly seeing a rubber finger bend backwards and feeling pain
2) Immersing hand in cold water for longer even though there is more net pain

64
Q

List two examples of social-cultural influences of pain

A

1) Feeling empathy for another’s pain

2) Seeing someone else get hurt and feeling pain

65
Q

What are the four basic tastes?

A

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter

66
Q

What is the newest 5th one? Describe it.

A

Umami, savory/meaty

67
Q

Taste is a chemical sense. What does that mean for how it works?

A

Taste buds have receptors that respond predominantly to one of the five tastes.

68
Q

What is the scientific name for smell?

A

Olfaction

69
Q

Because it is a primitive sense, what part of the brain does smell bypass?

A

Thalamus

70
Q

Do we have a distinct receptor for each detectable odor?

A

Yes

71
Q

Sensory Interaction

A

The principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of a food influences its taste

Ex. When you plug your nose while eating a Skittle, the flavor is less intense than when your nose isn’t plugged.

72
Q

Gestalt

A

An organized whole. Emphasis on our tendency to integrate pieces of information into one coherent piece of information.

73
Q

What is the fundamental truth underlying all of the Gestalt principles?

A

Our brain does more than register information about the world. We organize information to make sense of it.

74
Q

Figure-ground

A

The organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand our from their surroundings (the ground)

75
Q

Grouping

A

The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

76
Q

Proximity

A

We group nearly objects together.

77
Q

Continuity

A

We perceive smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones.

78
Q

Closure

A

We fill in gaps to complete a whole object.

79
Q

Depth Perception

A

The ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance

80
Q

Visual Cliff

A

A laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

81
Q

What did the visual cliff experiments demonstrate – is depth perception learned or not?

A

Depth perception is not learned; it’s something you’re born with

82
Q

Binocular Depth Cues

A

Depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

83
Q

Retinal Disparity

A

A binocular cut for perceiving depth: By comparing imagines from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance – the greater the disparity between images, the closer it is.

84
Q

Monocular Depth Cues

A

Depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to enter one eye alone

85
Q

Relative Height

A

Objects higher in our field of vision are perceived as farther away; causes illusion that taller objects are longer than short objects

86
Q

Relative Size

A

If we assume two objects are similar in size, we perceive the one that casts the smaller retinal image as farther away

87
Q

Interposition

A

If one object partially blocks the view of another, we perceive it as closer

88
Q

Relative Motion

A

As we move, objects that are stationary appear to move; the closer the object, the faster it appears to move

89
Q

Linear Perspective

A

Parallel lines seem to converge with distance

90
Q

Light and Shadow

A

Nearby objects reflect more light to our eyes, dimmer objects seem farther away

91
Q

Phi Phenomenon

A

An illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

92
Q

Perceptual Constancy

A

Perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, lightness and color_ even as illumination and retinal images change

Ex. Door don’t change size, shape or color even if they appear to do so based on what angle we look at it and if it’s light or dark in the room.

93
Q

Color Constancy

A

Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object

94
Q

Example of size constancy

A

A person appears to get smaller as they run away, but the brain doesn’t perceive this as shrinking

95
Q

Example of shape constancy

A

A door casts an increasingly trapezoidal image on our retinas as it opens, yet we still perceive it as rectangular

96
Q

Perceptual Adaptation

A

In vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

Ex. Lincoln’s upside-down face

97
Q

Perceptual Set

A

A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

98
Q

Human Factors Psychologists

A

Psychologists that explore how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use

99
Q

ESP

A

Extrasensory perception. The controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance and precognition

100
Q

Parapsychology

A

The study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis

AP Psychology (15 decks)

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