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AP Psychology > Sensations and Perception > Flashcards

Sensations and Perception Flashcards

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1
Q

The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.

A

Sensation

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2
Q

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.

A

Perception

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3
Q

Analysis process that begins with the sensory receptors and works its way up to the brain’s integration of sensory information.

A

Bottom-up processing

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4
Q

Information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions from our experience and expectations.

A

Top-down processing

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5
Q

The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.

A

Psychophysics

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6
Q

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.

A

Absolute threshold

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7
Q

A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation; assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person’s experience, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue.

A

Signal detection theory

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8
Q

Below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness.

A

Subliminal

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9
Q

The activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response.

A

Priming

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10
Q

The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experience the difference threshold as just a noticeable difference.

A

Difference threshold

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11
Q

The principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage.

A

Weber’s law

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12
Q

Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.

A

Sensory adaptation

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13
Q

The conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, it is the transformation of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret.

A

Transduction

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14
Q

The distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next; the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light.

A

Wavelength and hue

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15
Q

The amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude.

A

Intensity

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16
Q

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

A

Pupil

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17
Q

A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening.

A

Iris

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18
Q

The transparent structure behind the pupil that changed shape to help focus images on the retina.

A

Lens

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19
Q

The process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina.

A

Accommodation

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20
Q

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

A

Retina

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21
Q

The sharpness of vision.

A

Acuity

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22
Q

A condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly that near objects because the image of near objects is focused behind the retina.

A

Farsightedness

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23
Q

Retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in the daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.

A

Rods and cones

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24
Q

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

A

Optic nerve

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25
Q

The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there.

A

Blind spot

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26
Q

The central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster.

A

Fovea

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27
Q

Nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement.

A

Feature detectors

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28
Q

The processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.

A

Parallel processing

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29
Q

The theory that the retina contains three different color receptors-one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue-which when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color.

A

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory

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30
Q

The theory that opposing retinal processes enabled color vision.

A

Opponent-processing theory

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31
Q

Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color even when changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object.

A

Color constancy

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32
Q

The sense or act of hearing.

A

Audition

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33
Q

When tones experience highness or lowness; the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point at a given time.

A

Pitch and frequency

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34
Q

The chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window.

A

Middle ear

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35
Q

A coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses.

A

Cochlea

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36
Q

The innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.

A

Inner ear

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37
Q

In hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated.

A

Place theory

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38
Q

In hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch.

A

Frequency theory

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39
Q

Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.

A

Conduction hearing loss

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40
Q

Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor nerves or the auditory nerves, also called nerve deafness.

A

Sensorineural hearing loss

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41
Q

A device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea.

A

Cochlear implant

42
Q

The theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows the to pass on to the brain. The “gate” is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and closed by activating in larger fibers, or by information coming from the brain.

A

Gate-control theory

43
Q

The principle that one sense may influence another.

A

Sensory interaction

44
Q

The system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.

A

Kinesthesis

45
Q

The sense of body movement and position.

A

Vestibular sense

46
Q

The focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.

A

Selective attention

47
Q

Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.

A

Inattentional blindness

48
Q

The tendency for vision to dominate other senses.

A

Visual capture

49
Q

An organized whole.

A

Gestalt

50
Q

The organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings.

A

Figure-ground

51
Q

The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups.

A

Grouping

52
Q

The ability to see objects in 3D although the images that strike the retina are 2D.

A

Depth perception

53
Q

A laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals.

A

Visual cliff

54
Q

Depth cues, such as retinal disparity and convergence, that depend on the use of two eyes.

A

Binocular cue

55
Q

A binocular cue for perceiving depth: by comparing images from the two eyeballs, the brain computes distance-the greater the difference between the two images, the closer the object.

A

Retinal disparity

56
Q

A binocular cue for perceiving depth; the extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object. The greater the strain, the closer the object.

A

Convergence

57
Q

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

A

Monocular cue

58
Q

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

A

Phi phenomenon

59
Q

Perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change.

A

Perceptual constancy

60
Q

The ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field.

A

Perceptual adaptation

61
Q

A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.

A

Perceptual set

62
Q

A branch of psychology that explores how people and machines interact and how machines and physical environments can be made safe and easy to use.

A

Human factor psychology

63
Q

The controversial claim the perception can occur apart from sensory input. Said to include telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.

A

Extra sensory perception (ESP)

64
Q

The study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis.

A

Parapsychology

65
Q

Our awareness of ourselves and our environment.

A

Consciousness

66
Q

Periodic psychological fluctuations.

A

Biological rhythm

67
Q

The biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24 hour cycle.

A

Circadian rhythm

68
Q

Rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed but other body systems are active.

A

REM sleep

69
Q

The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state.

A

Alpha waves

70
Q

A periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness.

A

Sleep

71
Q

False sensory experiences, such as seeing something thin the absence of an external visual stimulus.

A

Hallucinations

72
Q

The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep.

A

Delta waves

73
Q

Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep.

A

Insomnia

74
Q

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.

A

Narcolepsy

75
Q

A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings.

A

Sleep apnea

76
Q

A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during Stage 4 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep and are seldom remembered.

A

Night terrors

77
Q

A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind. Dreams are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for dreamer’s delusional acceptance to ht content and later difficulties remembering it.

A

Dream

78
Q

According to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream.

A

Manifest content

79
Q

The underlying meaning of a dream.

A

Latent content

80
Q

The tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation.

A

REM rebound

81
Q

A social interaction in which one person suggests to another that certain perceptions, feeling, thoughts, or behaviors will occur.

A

Hypnosis

82
Q

A suggestion made during a hypnosis session, to be carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized; used by some clinicians to help control undesired symptoms and behaviors.

A

Posthypnotic suggestion

83
Q

A split in consciousness which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously with others.

A

Dissociation

84
Q

A chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood.

A

Psychoactive drugs

85
Q

The diminishing effect with regular uses of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect.

A

Tolerance

86
Q

The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug.

A

Withdrawl

87
Q

A physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued.

A

Physical dependence

88
Q

A psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions.

A

Psychological dependence

89
Q

Compulsive drug craving and use.

A

Addiction

90
Q

Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions.

A

Depressants

91
Q

Drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment.

A

Barbiturates

92
Q

Opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; the depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety.

A

Opiates

93
Q

Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.

A

Stimulants

94
Q

Drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing sped up body functions and associated energy and mood changes.

A

Amphetamines

95
Q

A powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with sped up body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels.

A

Methamphetamines

96
Q

A synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin producing neurons and to mood and cognition.

A

Ecstasy (MDMA)

97
Q

Psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.

A

Hallucinogens

98
Q

A powerful hallucinogenic drug.

A

LSD

99
Q

The major active ingredient in marijuana; trigger a variety effects, including mild hallucinations.

A

THC

100
Q

An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death; often similar to drug induced hallucinations.

A

Near-death experience

101
Q

The presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact.

A

Dualism

102
Q

The presumption that mind and body are different aspects of the same thing.

A

Monism

AP Psychology (10 decks)

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