Sensing and Perceiving our World Flashcards
What is transduction?
The process of a physical stimulus becoming neural information through action potentials
What is sensory adaptation?
When overall sensitivity levels lower because our senses are constantly being stimulated
What is the definition of sensation?
The stimulation of our sense organs by features of the outer world
What is the definition of perception?
The act of organizing and interpreting sensory experience
Perceptual Processes and which is more common?
Top-down Processing
Bottom-up processing
Top-down processing more common
What is top-down processing?
Perception of whole guiding the perception of details
What is bottom-up processing?
Building perceptual experience from details
What is absolute threshold?
The smallest energy required to feel eternal stimulus 50% of the time
What is difference threshold?
Minimum difference in stimulus felt 50% of the time
What is Weber’s Law?
The size of a just noticeable difference is in constant ratio to the intensity of the stimulus
What is Signal Detection Theory?
The viewpoint that both the intensity of the stimulus and decision-making processes and involved in detecting a stimulus
What is a “false alarm” in an experiment?
A participant saying a stimulus exists when does not
What is a “hit” in an experiment?
When a participant correctly guessing a stimulus is present
What is a “miss” in an experiment?
When a participant fails to recognize a stimulus present
What is a “correct rejection” in an experiment?
When a participant correctly identifies that a stimulus is not present
