Sense and Perception Flashcards

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1
Q

Sensation

A

Activation of receptors in various sense organs

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2
Q

Subliminal Sensation

A

Sensation occurring below the level of conscious awareness

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2
Q

Sensory Receptors

A

Specialized forms of neurons

Stimulus: Activated by different kinds of energy, not neurotransmitters

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3
Q

Transduction

A

Conversion of external stimuli (energy) to neural activity

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4
Q

Subliminal Stimuli

A

Stimuli that activate sensory receptors but are not strong enough for conscious awareness

Note: Below any just noticeable difference

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5
Q

Subliminal Perception

A

Process by which subliminal stimuli influence behavior through the unconscious mind

Example: Implicit association cues

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6
Q

Habituation

A

The brain’s tendency to stop attending to constant, unchanging information

Nature: A learned process; often described as ‘tuning it out’

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7
Q

Sensory Adaptation

A

Decreased responsiveness of sensory receptor cells to a constant, unchanging stimulus

Nature: A biological shift in sensory perception

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8
Q

Retina

A

Final stop for light in the eye

Layers:
1. Ganglion cells
2. Bipolar cells
3. Photoreceptors (respond to light waves)

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8
Q

Surgical Techniques- Cornea

A

PRK: Photoreactive keratectomy

LASIK: Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis

Both techniques involve incisions in the cornea to improve vision

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9
Q

Cornea

A

Definition: Clear membrane covering the eye’s surface

Functions:
-Protects the eye
-Focuses most incoming light

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10
Q

Cones

A

Responsible for color vision and visual sharpness

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10
Q

Rods

A

Give us good vision in low-level light.

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11
Q

Afterimages

A

Visual sensations that persist briefly after the original stimulus is removed

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11
Q

Blind Spot

A

Area in the retina where axons exit to form the optic nerve

Characteristic: Insensitive to light

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12
Q

Trichromatic Theory

A

Color vision based on three types of cones

Cone Types:
1. Red
2. Blue
3. Green

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13
Q

Opponent-Process Theory

A

Color vision theory with four primary colors arranged in pairs

Color Pairs:
1. Red and Green
2. Blue and Yellow

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14
Q

Monochrome Color Blindness

A

A condition where a person has no functioning cones or has cones that do not work at all

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15
Q

Conduction Hearing Impairment

A

Impairment resulting from problems in the outer or middle ear.

Causes:

Damaged Eardrum: Prevents sound waves from being carried into the middle ear properly.

Damage to Middle Ear Bones: Sound cannot be conducted from the eardrum to the cochlea.

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15
Q

Place Theory

A

Theory stating that different pitches are experienced by the stimulation of hair cells in different locations on the organ of Corti.

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16
Q

Pitch

A

The perceived frequency of a sound, determining how high or low it sounds.

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17
Q

Red-Green Color Blindness

A

A condition where either the red or the green cones are not functioning

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18
Q

Frequency Theory

A

Theory suggesting that pitch is related to the speed of vibrations in the basilar membrane.

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19
Q

Nerve Hearing Impairment

A

Impairment resulting from damage to the inner ear or auditory pathways.

Causes:

Damage in the Inner Ear: Affects the cochlea or hair cells.

Damage in Auditory Pathways: Affects the brain areas responsible for processing sound.

Note: Any sensory impairment may have structural or neurological (neurophysiological) bases.

20
Q

Somesthetic Senses

A

Body senses related to physical sensations.

Components: Skin senses, kinesthetic sense, vestibular senses.

Etymology: “Soma” = body, “esthetic” = feeling.

20
Q

Skin Senses

A

Types:

Touch: Detects texture and pressure.

Pressure: Sensation of force applied to the skin.

Temperature: Sensing heat and cold.

Pain: Signaled by specialized receptors (e.g., nociceptors).

Function: Touch senses texture through pressure mechanisms.

21
Q

Vestibular Senses

A

Sensations related to body movement and balance.

Function: Detects movement and body position relative to gravity.

Major Organs: Utricle, saccule, and three semicircular canals (posterior, superior, horizontal).

21
Q

Kinesthetic Sense

A

Sense of the location of body parts and movement.

Features:

Position Awareness: Understanding limbs’ position relative to each other.

Force Exertion: Sense of how much force is being applied.

Receptors: Proprioceptors found in fascia, tendons, and joints.

22
Q

Differences Between Kinesthetic and Vestibular Senses

A

Kinesthetic Sense: Involves location of body parts and movement.

Vestibular Sense: Involves balance and body position.

23
Q

Perception

A

Method by which sensations are interpreted and organized meaningfully at any given moment.

23
Q

Sensory Conflict Theory

A

Definition: Explains motion sickness.

Mechanism: Conflicts arise between visual information and vestibular senses.

Symptoms: Dizziness, nausea, and physical discomfort.

24
Q

Perception: Constancies

A

Principles that help us perceive objects as stable despite changes in sensory input.

25
Q

Size Constancy

A

Tendency to interpret an object as maintaining the same size regardless of its distance from the observer.

26
Q

Gestalt Principles

A

Our brains tend to order visual experiences in efficient, recognizable ways.

26
Q

Shape Constancy

A

Tendency to perceive the shape of an object as constant, even when its shape changes on the retina due to perspective.

27
Q

Brightness Constancy

A

Tendency to perceive an object’s brightness as constant even under varying light conditions.

28
Q

Figure–Ground

A

Tendency to perceive objects/figures as existing on a background.

29
Q

Reversible Figures

A

Visual illusions where the figure and ground can be reversed.

30
Q

Focal Point

A

Elements that stand out visually capture and hold the viewer’s attention first.

31
Q

Gestalt Principles of Grouping

A

Five basic space-related grouping tendencies.

32
Q

Proximity (Nearness)

A

Objects close to each other are perceived as part of the same group.

32
Q

Closure

A

Tendency to complete figures that are incomplete; filling in details.

33
Q

Similarity

A

Things that look similar are perceived as part of the same group.

34
Q

Continuity

A

Perceiving things as simply as possible, following a continuous pattern rather than a complex one.

35
Q

Common Region

A

Tendency to perceive objects in a common area as being part of a group.

36
Q

Contiguity

A

Tendency to perceive two things happening close together in time as related; linked to excitation transfer in aggression.

37
Q

Perceptual Illusions

A

Visual phenomena where perception differs from reality.

38
Q

Hermann Grid

A

An illusion possibly due to the response of the primary visual cortex, creating spots at the intersections that disappear.

39
Q

Müller-Lyer Illusion

A

Illusion of line length distorted by inward- or outward-turning corners on the ends, causing lines of equal length to appear different.

40
Q

Perceptual Illusions of Motion

A

Visual phenomena where movement is perceived when there is none.

41
Q

Autokinetic Effect

A

A small, stationary light in a darkened room appears to move due to the absence of surrounding cues.

42
Q

Phi Phenomenon

A

When lights turned on in a sequence appear to move; often used in stage lighting to direct attention.

43
Q

Stroboscopic Motion

A

Illusion seen in motion pictures or flip books, where a rapid series of still images creates the perception of movement.

44
Q

Factors that Influence Perception

A

Various elements that affect how we interpret sensory information.

45
Q

Perceptual Set (Perceptual Expectancy)

A

The tendency to perceive things in a certain way based on previous experiences or expectations.

46
Q

Top-Down Processing

A

Using preexisting knowledge to organize individual features into a unified whole.

47
Q

Bottom-Up Processing

A

Analyzing smaller features to build up to a complete perception.

48
Q

Perception Definition

A

Method by which the sensations experienced at any given moment, are interpreted and organized in some meaningful fashion.