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General Psychology > Sensation+Perception (Module 2 Ch 4) > Flashcards

Sensation+Perception (Module 2 Ch 4) Flashcards

Memorize by October 10th

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1
Q

Psychophysics

A

The study of sensation and perception

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2
Q

Sensation

A

The interaction between your environment and your sense organs
External, objective, occurs first

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3
Q

Perception

A

Your brain processing, organizing, and interpreting sense information
Internal, subjective, occurs second

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4
Q

Transduction

A

The time from when the sense information leaves the sensory organ until it reaches the brain
The conversion of physical stimuli into neural impulses or info

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5
Q

Just Noticeable Difference

A

The smallest change in a stimulus for you to be able to notice that the stimulus has changed

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6
Q

Weber’s Law

A

The just noticeable difference isn’t fixed, so a stronger stimulus requires a stronger change

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7
Q

Absolute Threshold

A

How much of a stimulus is required for you to say that the stimulus exists
Differs from person to person
Introverts and people with autism and/or depression tend to be more sensitive (lower absolute threshold)

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8
Q

What is the difference between Just Noticeable Difference and Absolute Threshold?

A

Looking for change vs looking for existence

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9
Q

Sensory Adaptation

A

Our sensitivity diminishes when we have constant stimulation
This ensures we notice changes in stimulation more than stimulation itself

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10
Q

What does stimulus detection theory involve?

A

Stimulus intensity/strength, noise/distraction, and response criteria (how confident you have to be to say yes)

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11
Q

What are the four different responses to a stimulus?

A

Hit: stimulus + say it exists
Correct Rejection: no stimulus + say there’s no stimulus
False Alarm: no stimulus + say there is
Miss: stimulus + you say there isn’t

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12
Q

What does Liberal vs Conservative mean in terms of response criteria?

A

More likely to say it exists than doesn’t exists, leading to more false alarms vs more likely likely to say a stimulus doesn’t exists even if it does, leading to more misses

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13
Q

Bottom-Up Processing

A

Starts at the sensory receptors and works up to higher levels of processing (starting with the data and working up to the knowledge)
Requires more cognitive resources, but tends to be more accurate

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14
Q

Top-Down Processing

A

Starts at our knowledge or expectations, which influences how we process or perceive the data
Easier but is more likely to be wrong

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15
Q

What is the strongest, most dominant sense in humans?

A

Vision

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16
Q

Light vs Color

A

The physical stimulus for vision (which hits us in waves) vs the subjective experience of vision

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17
Q

Wavelength

A

The distance from one point on a wave to the same point on the next wave
Vision: shorter = cooler, longer = warmer

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18
Q

Frequency

A

The amount of waves in a given period
Sound: higher frequency = higher pitch

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19
Q

Amplitude

A

The height of the tallest point of the wave to the lowest point of the wave
Vision: lower = pastels, higher = darker
Sound: lower = quieter, higher = louder

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20
Q

Cornea

A

The external layer of the eye, whose main purpose is protection

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21
Q

Pupil

A

The black hole at the center of the eye, where no light reaches

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22
Q

Iris

A

A muscle in the eye designed to change the shape/size of the pupil, making it larger in low conditions and smaller in bright conditions

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23
Q

Lens

A

The circular object behind the pupil that focuses the light through the fluid of the eye and onto the retina

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24
Q

Accommodation (in vision)

A

When the shape of the lens changes depending on where you want to focus your vision

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25
Q

Retina

A

The back of the eye, where the sensory receptors are for vision
The last step of visual sensation

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26
Q

Fovea

A

The spot of greatest visual acuity (ie where you see the clearest)
Entirely composed of cones

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27
Q

Rods

A

A type of photoreceptor that’s active in low light conditions (important for dark adaptation) and works in shades of gray
120 million of them in the eye

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28
Q

Cones

A

A type of photoreceptor that detects color and fine detail, and requires bright light to function
6 million of them in the eye (mainly in the fovea)

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29
Q

Bipolar and Ganglion Cells

A

Collect information from the rods and cones of the eye to send through the optic nerve to the brain
The first step of visual transduction

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30
Q

How many cones and rods are connected to one bipolar cell?

A

One cone sends info to one bipolar cell, but multiple rods can all send info to the same (one) bipolar cell

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31
Q

Blindspot

A

The part of the retina that the optic nerve connects to
There are no rods or cones here

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32
Q

Myopic vs Hyperoptic

A

Nearsighted (image hits slightly in front of retina) vs Farsighted (image focuses behind the retina)

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33
Q

Sclera

A

The whites of the eye, which is important for social interactions in humans

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34
Q

Trichromatic Processing

A

When it comes to processing color, there are three types of cones in the eye, which each respond to a different wavelength of light

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35
Q

Does everyone have Trichromatic Vision?

A

Some people have Tetrachromatic Vision, meaning they have a forth cone

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36
Q

Herring’s Opponent Process

A

The cones of the eye have an opposition process that enhances one color while suppressing another

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37
Q

Afterimages

A

Visual images that remain after removal of or looking away from the stimulus
Explained by the opponent process theory of color perception

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38
Q

How does color blindness work?

A

It affects the cones of the eye

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39
Q

What pathway does vision take?

A

Retina, Optic Nerve, Optic Chiasm, Optic Tract, Thalamus, Primary Visual Cortex

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40
Q

Optic Chiasm

A

Where information from the left field of vision goes to the right hemisphere of the brain and vice versa

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41
Q

What are the three cells present in the Primary Visual Cortex and what do they respond to?

A

Simple (orientation info)
Complex (orientation and movement info)
Hypercomplex (multiple forms of orientation info; starts bringing the whole image together)

42
Q

Feature Detectors

A

Neurons in the visual cortex that respond only to specific aspects of shapes, such as angles and movement

43
Q

Where does visual information go after it has been processed by the Primary Visual Cortex?

A

To the temporal lobe (ventral stream) or parietal lobe (dorsal stream)

44
Q

Ventral Stream

A

To the Temporal Lobe
AKA the “what” pathway
Helps with object identification or labeling what you’re seeing

45
Q

Fusiform Face Area

A

A region in the temporal lobe that responds primarily to faces

46
Q

Single Cells

A

Neurons that only fire/respond to images or thoughts of a specific person and nothing else

47
Q

Dorsal Stream

A

To the Parietal Lobe
The “where” or “how” pathway
Helps locate objects in the environment
Tells us how objects are moving in relation to us

48
Q

Apparent Motion

A

When you show a succession of images very quickly, it looks like fluid motion
This is how flip books work

49
Q

Illusory Conjunction

A

When an image is flashed too quickly for you to have time to combine features or build complete images

50
Q

What are the two kinds of depth cues?

A

Binocular (using both eyes) and Monocular (using one eye)

51
Q

What does Binocular vision do?

A

Looks for the difference in images picked up by both eyes to determine how far away something is

52
Q

Familiar Size

A

We use our familiarity with objects to understand why there might be changes in their size
Ex: if it looks smaller than expected, then it must be further away

53
Q

Linear Perspective

A

Parallel lines appear to converge the further away they are

54
Q

Texture Gradient

A

The closer things are to us, the more clear their texture

55
Q

Interposition

A

Things that are closer to us are in front of things that are further away from us

56
Q

Relative Height

A

Things that are closer to us are at the bottom of our field of vision, while things that are further away are at the top

57
Q

Perceptual Constancy

A

The brain’s ability to maintain perception of an object’s size or shape despite changes in retinal image

58
Q

What is Gestalt grouping?

A

How we decide that two things should be grouped together in our perception

59
Q

Simplicity or Pragnanz

A

We process information in the simplest way

60
Q

Closure

A

We create closure when closure is not there (ie we perceive a whole object in the absence of complete information)

61
Q

Continuity

A

We tend to see things are continuous even if we don’t have reason to see them that way

62
Q

Similarity

A

We group similar objects together

63
Q

Proximity

A

We groups things based off how close they are to each other

64
Q

Common Fate

A

We groups objects together if they are moving together/in the same direction

65
Q

What affects our perception of sound besides frequency and amplitude?

A

Complexity/Purity: we are not hearing sounds in isolation; multiple sound waves are reaching our ears at the same time
The more complex, the more difficult to process

66
Q

What are the parts of the outer ear?

A

The pinna, auditory canal, and eardrum

67
Q

Pinna

A

The fleshy part of the ear, which catches sound waves and funnels them into the ear

68
Q

Tympanic Membrane

A

AKA the eardrum
Vibrates based off of how the sound waves hit it

69
Q

What is inside the middle ear?

A

An air pocket (which is sealed of by the tympanic membrane)
The ossicles, or smallest bones in our body, which vibrate and amplify sound waves

70
Q

What are the three ossicles (in order from tympanic membrane to the end of the middle ear)?

A

The hammer (malleus), anvil (incus), and stirrup (stapes)

71
Q

Cochlea

A

Part of the inner ear
The inner organ and last step of sensation
Filled with fluid, which moves based off the vibrations from the stapes

72
Q

Basilar Membrane

A

Located in the fluid of the cochlea
Where sensory receptors for the ear are located

73
Q

Hair Cells

A

The receptor neurons for hearing, located on the Basilar Membrane

74
Q

Semicircular Canals

A

Important for balance
The way the fluid sits in these canals tells your body how its positioned

75
Q

Place Theory

A

A theory of sound perception that says that your perception of pitch is based on where movement on the basilar membrane in occurring

76
Q

Temporal or Frequency Theory

A

A theory of sound perception that says that sound is processed by how quickly the hair cells are firing (more firing = higher frequency = higher pitch)

77
Q

Localization

A

Determining where a sound is located based off of which side of the head the information reaches first and/or which side the info is slightly louder

78
Q

Location Gestalt Grouping

A

If two sounds are coming from the same location, we group them together

79
Q

Temporal Gestalt Grouping

A

If two sounds start or stop at the same time, we group them together

80
Q

Music

A

Grouping notes and instruments together so that other people will process the sound in the way the musician intends

81
Q

Perfect Pitch

A

When you can name the musical note that you hear
Associated with a larger, denser temporal lobe

82
Q

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

A

Occurs in the inner ear
Issue with the hair cells
More common with age
Hearing aids don’t help very much

83
Q

Conduction Hearing Loss

A

Occurs in the middle ear
Issue with the information or vibration being transferred from the tympanic membrane to the ossicles

84
Q

What are two kinds of skin sensations?

A

Touch and Pain

85
Q

Mechanoreceptors

A

Receptors in the skin that are sensitive to various tactile qualities

86
Q

What does it mean when we say that touch is a plastic sense?

A

The somatosensory cortex can change

87
Q

Phantom Limb Pain

A

When you lost a limb that your originally had, but sometimes still feel like it’s there and in pain

88
Q

Nociceptive Pain

A

Pain from skin and/or tissue damage, detected by nociceptors
Sensitive to temperature, chemical irritation, and pressure

89
Q

A-Delta Fibers

A

Responsible for fast, sharp, stabbing pains

90
Q

C Fibers

A

Responsible for dull, throbbing pain
Less myelinated than A-Delta
Slower transmission

91
Q

Referred Pain

A

There are areas on the spinal cord and/or somatosensory cortex that deal with multiple body parts, both inner and outer, so sometimes the brain confuses which location the pain signal is coming from

92
Q

Haptic Perception

A

Understanding our world through touch

93
Q

Kinesthesia

A

Your understanding of how your body is positioned and moving

94
Q

What are chemical senses?

A

Smell and Taste
Works by connecting molecules to sensory receptors

95
Q

Why is smell a unique sense?

A

It doesn’t go through the thalamus, it is directly connected to the olfactory bulb in the forebrain

96
Q

What are the receptors in your nose?

A

Olfactory

97
Q

Papillae

A

The little bumps of the tongue, which each house hundreds of taste receptor neurons

98
Q

What are the 5 primary taste sensations? Why are they important?

A

Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty, and Umami/Savory
We associate each one with certain foods (ex: umami = meat, soy, beans)
This influences our cravings, as we crave foods that are bodies might be lacking in (ex: craving an orange because you need vitamin C)

99
Q

Gustatory Cortex

A

Where taste sensations are processed

100
Q

Synesthesia

A

When a person experiences sensations in one sense when a different one is stimulated
When the senses get mixed up or don’t separate

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