Senses Flashcards
Subliminal Threshold
Stimuli below absolute threshold for conscious awareness
Absolute Threshold
Minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
Backmasking
Sound is recorded backwards; messages are subliminally placed
Sensory Adaptation
Diminished sensitivity as a consquence of constant stimulation
Blind Spot
Part of the retina; no receptor cells
Transduction
Transformation of stimulus energy into neural impulses; Phototransduction - Light
Pupil
Opening in eye
Iris
Controls the size of the pupil opening
Lens
Focus images; as we age it loses ability to change shape
Retina
Containing receptor rods and cones
Rods
Detects black, white, and gray; low light
Cones
Color vision; well-lit conditions
Blindsight
Ability to respond appropriately to visual inputs while lacking the feeling of having seen them
Feature Detectors
Nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features; shape, angle, movement
Parallel Processing
Simultaneous processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously
Trichromatic Theory
Retina should contain three receptors that are sensitive to red, blue, and green colors
Opponent-Process Theory (After-Images)
Opposing retinal processes enable color vision; cells located in the thalamus; red-green, black-white, blue-yellow
Color Constancy
Color of an object remains the same under different illuminations
Cochlea
Coiled, bony, fluid-filled in the inner ear that transforms sound vibrations to auditory signals
Localization of Sounds
Sounds that reach one ear faster than the other ear
Sense of Touch
Mix of pressure, warmth, cold, and pain
Taste
Sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes; Umami
Sensory Interaction
One sense may influence another; smell of influences its taste
Smell (Olfaction)
Odorants enter the nasal cavity to stimulate receptors
Kinesthesis
System for sensing the position and movements of individual body parts
Vestibular Sense
Sense of balance
