sensation/perception Flashcards
Weber’s Law (Fechner)
change in stimulus intensity need for JND divided by stimulus intensity of standard stimulus is constant
? I/I = K
?= delta I, change in intensity
Who founded Gestalt psych
Max Wertheimer
Absolute threshold (limen)
minimum stimulus energy need to activate sensory system
Difference threshold
how different two stimuli must be before perceived as different.
If 2lbs = 1 JND, 4 lbs = 2 JND
Fechner’s law
Steven’s power law
sensation increases more slowly as intensity increases
Steven argued with him
What theory says nonsensory factors influence what subject says she sees?
signal detection theory
Response bias
measures how risky the subject is in sensory decision-making; based upon nonsensory factors
Sensitivity
Measures how well the subject can sense the stimulus
ROC curve (Swets)
used to graphically summarize a subject’s responses in a signal detection experiment
John Swets
Receptors
respond to physical stimuli
Transduction
translates physical energy to neural impulses
projection areas
brain areas that further analyze sensory input
cornea
gathers light and focuses it
pupil
contracts in bright light
expands in dim light
iris
involuntary muscles/autonomic nerve fibers, controls size of pupil
lens
controls curve of light and can focus near/distant objects on retina
retina
image detection
Light path
retinal ganglion –> bipolar cell –> rod/cones
Cones
color/fine detail, effective in bright light, both color/noncolor. because less cones converging onto individual ganglion cells
rods- reduce light, achromatic colors, low detail sensitivity
We have more rods than cones
Fovea
contains only cones
visual acuity best here
only rods at periphery of retina
Ganglion cells form
optic nerve
Vision: nerve pathways
Cross in optic chiasm
Nasal fibers –> opposite side
Temporal fibers: same side
Optic tract takes info to thalamus (LGN), visual cortex, and superior colliculus.
Hubel/Wiesel’s single cell recordings:
Types of Cell/Responds to visual info on…
Simple
Complex
Hypercomplex
Simple- orientation/boundaries
Complex- movement
hypercomplex- abstract/shape
Illumination vs. brightness
illumination- objective measure of light on surface
brightness-subjective impression of intensity
Adaption
dark adaption- in movie theater
Rods have rhodopsin (Vitamin A, retinal and protein opsin) when light absorbed, splits to retinene and opsin (bleaching), takes time to regenerate)
Simultaneous bright contrast
target areas of particular luminance appears brighter surrounded by darker stimulus than lighter stimulus.
Lateral inhibition
adjacent retinal cells inhibit each other, sharpens/highlights boarders between light/dark cells
Humans can see
400-800 nm
Subtractive color mixture
paint, mix pigments
Additive color mixture
lights, primary green, red, blue