Sensation Pt. 1 Vocab Terms

Question 0

perception

Answer 0

organizing and interpreting sensory information

Question 1

sensation

Answer 1

sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies

Question 2

bottom-up processing

Answer 2

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

Question 3

top-down processing

Answer 3

information processing guided by higher-level mental processes

Question 4

psychophysics

Answer 4

study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, and our psychological experience

Question 5

absolute threshold

Answer 5

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

Question 6

signal detection theory

Answer 6

how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (“signal”) amid background stimulation (“noise”)

Question 7

subliminal

Answer 7

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

Question 8

priming

Answer 8

activation of certain associations

Question 9

difference threshold

Answer 9

minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time

Question 10

Weber’s Law

Answer 10

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

Question 11

sensory adaption

Answer 11

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of a constant stimulation

Question 12

transduction

Answer 12

conversion of one form of energy into another

Question 13

wavelength

Answer 13

distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next

Question 14

hue

Answer 14

dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light

Question 15

intensity

Answer 15

amount of energy in a light or sound wave

Question 16

pupil

Answer 16

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

Question 17

iris

Answer 17

ring of muscle tissues that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil

Question 18

lens

Answer 18

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

Question 19

accommodation

Answer 19

eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

Question 20

retina

Answer 20

light-sensitive inner surface of the eye

Question 21

acuity

Answer 21

sharpness of vision

Question 22

nearsightedness

Answer 22

nearby objects are seen more clearly

Question 23

farsightedness

Answer 23

faraway objects are seen more clearly

Question 24

rods

Answer 24

retinal receptor that detect black, white, and gray

Question 25

cones

Answer 25

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina