Sensation (Chap 6)

Question 1

figure-ground

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Gestalt theory

Answer 2

an organized whole. gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.

Question 3

Name 3 kinds of grouping

Answer 3

proximity, continuity and Closure (filling out blanks)

Question 4

What do we mean when we say that, in perception, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts?

Answer 4

Gestalt psychologists used this saying to describe our perceptual tendency to organize cluster of sensation into meaningful forms of coherent groups.

Question 5

Deepth perception

Answer 5

the ability to see objects in 3D although images that strike the retina are two-dimentional; allow ud to judge distance.

Question 6

visual cliff

Answer 6

a laboratory device for testing depth for infants (6-14 mdr) and young animals

Question 7

binocular cues

Answer 7

depth cues, such as retinal disparity (ulighed), that depend on the use of two eyes.

Question 8

Retinal disparity

Answer 8

a binocular cue for perceiving depth: by comparing images from retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance - the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object.

Question 9

How do we normally perceive depth?

Answer 9

We are normally able to perceive depth thanks to the binocular cues that based on our retinal disparity, and monocular cues including relative hight, relative size, interposition, linear perspective, light and shadow and relative motion.

Question 10

Monocular cues

Answer 10

Depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone.

Question 11

phi phenomenon

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Perceptual constancy

Answer 12

perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, brightness , and color) even as illumination and retinal images changes.

Question 13

Color constancy

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Perceptual adaptation

Answer 14

in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even invented visual field.

Question 15

if no infant vision you may become ……

Answer 15

functionally blind to shape (not color though)

Question 16

Bottom-up processing

Answer 16

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration od sensory information

Question 17

top-down processing

Answer 17

information prosessing guided by higher-level mental processes, as we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations.

Question 18

transduction

Answer 18

conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the as sights, sounds and smells into neural impulses our brain can interpert

Question 19

PSYCHOPHYSIS

Answer 19

THE STUDY OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.

Question 20

What is the rough distinction between sensation and perception?

Answer 20

sensation is the bottom op process whereas perception is top down mental process of organizing and interpertation sensory input

Question 21

absolute treshold

Answer 21

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

Question 22

signal detection theory

Answer 22

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 that detection depends partly on a person’s experience, expectations, motivation , and alertness.

Question 23

subliminal

Answer 23

below ones absolute threshold for conscious awareness

Question 24

priming

Answer 24

the activation, often unconsciously of certain associations, thus predisposing ones perception, memory, or response.

Question 25

Difference threshold

Answer 25

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference treshold as a ‘just noticeable difference’

Question 26

Webers law

Answer 26

the principal that to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather then a constant)

Question 27

perceptual set

Answer 27

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

Question 28

Illustate using sound as example; absolute threshold, subliminal stimulation and difference treshold

Answer 28

AT: the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular sound 50% of the time. SS: sensory system process the sound without our awareness. DT: minimum difference for us toto distinguish between two sounds

Question 29

what is the hue?

Answer 29

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green……..

Question 30

pupil

Answer 30

through which light enters the eye

Question 31

iris

Answer 31

a ring of muscle tissue that form the solored portion if the eye around the pupil and CONTROL THE SIZE of the pupil opening.

Question 32

Lens

Answer 32

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help FOCUS immages in the retina

Question 33

retina

Answer 33

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

Question 34

accomoation

Answer 34

the process by which the eyes lens changes shape to focus near/far objects on the retina

Question 35

rods

Answer 35

retinal receprors that detect BLACK/WHITE/GRAY necessary for peripheral and twilight vision when CCONES dont respond.

Question 36

cones

Answer 36

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-loght conditions. The cones detect fine details and give rice to color sensations

Question 37

optical nerve

Answer 37

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

Question 38

fovea

Answer 38

the central focal point in the retina arround which the wye cone cluster

Question 39

Feature detectors

Answer 39

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus (such as shape, angle, movement)

Question 40

Young-helmholtz trichromatic theory

Answer 40

the theory taht the retina contains three different color receptors - red, green, blue - which, when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color.

Question 41

Middel ear

Answer 41

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea contains three thin boned; HAMMER, ANVIL, TRIRUP, that concentrate the vibirators of the eardrum on the cochleas ovan window

Question 42

Cochlea

Answer 42

a coiled bony, fluid filled tube in the inner ear –> soundwaves travelign through the cochear fluid trigger nerve impulses.

Question 43

inner ear

Answer 43

the innermost part of the ear containing the cochlea semicircular chanais and vestibular sacs.

Question 44

Cochlear implant

Answer 44

a device converting sound into eletrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the Cochlea

Question 45

place theory

Answer 45

in hearing the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the Cochleas membrane is stimulated.

Question 46

gate-control theory

Answer 46

the theory that the spianl cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allow them to pass on to the brain. The “gate” is opened by the sctivity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers or by information comming from the brain

Question 47

sensory interaction

Answer 47

the principle that one sense may influence another as when the smell of food influences the taste.

Question 48

What are the two key theories of color vision?

Answer 48

1) young-helmholtz trichromatic theory 2) opponent-process theory .. they complement each other and ourline the two stages of color vision: First retinas receptors for red, green, blue responds to different color stimuli THEN the receptors signals are processed by the opponent process cells on their way to the visual cortex in the brain.

Question 49

opponent-process theory

Answer 49

the theory opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green.

Question 50

kinesthesis

Answer 50

the system of sensing the position and movement of individual bodyparts

Question 51

vestbular sens

Answer 51

the sense of body movement and position including the sense of balance –> is located in the inner ear