Sensation Perception Flashcards
Sensation
any concrete, conscious experience resulting from stimulation of a specific sense organ, sensory nerve, or sensory area in the brain.
Lens
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina.
perceptual adaptation
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field.
perception
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling is to recognize meaningful objects and events.
retina
the light-sensetive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptors rods and cones plus layers of neurones that begin the processing of visual information.
audition
the sense or act of hearing.
Bottom-up processing
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information.
accomodation
the process by which the eye’s lens change shape to focus near or far objects on the retina.
frequency
the number of complete wavelength that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second).
Top-down processing
information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations.
rods
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and grey; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when ones don’t respond.
pitch
a tone’s experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency.
selective attention
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.
cones
receptor cells that help us see fine details of things and tend to help us see in stimulations where there is light or daylight. The majority of cones are in the centre of the retina.
middle ear
the space between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window.
inattentional blindness
failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
optic nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.
cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses.
transduction
conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret.
blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there.
inner ear
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.
psychophysics
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.
fovea
the central focal pointing the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster.
sensorial hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlear’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves.
absolute threshold
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent to the times.
feature detectors
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement.
signal detection theory
a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise)
parallel processing
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision.
subliminal message
signals below the absolute threshold level of our conscious awareness. we cannot become consciously aware of subliminal stimuli even if we look for it.
Young-Helmholtz
the theory that the retina contains three different colour receptors- one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue- which when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any colour.
priming
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response.
opponent processing theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable colour vision. Ex. some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red.
difference threshold
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time-we experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference.
gestalt
an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.
Weber’s law
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount).
figure-ground
the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground).
sensory adaptation
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.
grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups.
perceptual set
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.
depth perception
the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance.
extrasensory perception
the controversial claim perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.
visual cliff
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals.
parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomenon, including ESP and psychokinesis.
binocular cues
depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes.
wavelength
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmission.
retinal disparity
a binocular cue for perceiving depth; By comparing images from the retinas in the two disparity, the brain computers distance- the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object.
hue
the dimension of colour that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the colour names blue, green, and so forth.
monocular cues
depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone.
intensity
the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude.
Phi phenomenon
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession.
pupil
the adjustable opening in the centre of the eye through which light enters.
perceptual constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, sizes, brightness, and colour) even as illumination and retinal images change.
Iris
a ring of muscle tissue that forms the coloured potion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening.
colour constancy
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object.
conduction hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.
cochlear implant
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the audacity nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea.
place theory
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated.
frequency theory
in hearing, the theory the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone thus enabling us to sense its pitch.
gate-control theory
the theory that the spiral cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain.
kinaesthesia
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.
vestibular sense
the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance.
sensory interaction
the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste.
embodied cognition
in psychological science, the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognition preferences and judgements.
