Unit 2 - Perception (Modules 20, 21, 23) Flashcards
Sensation
The process by which we receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
Sensory Receptors
Sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli
Perception
The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information
Bottom-up Processing
Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brains integration of sensory information
Top-down processing
Constructs perceptions by drawing on experiences and expectations
Selective Attention
The focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
Inattentional Blindness
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
Change Blindness
Failing to notice changes in the environment
Perceptual Set
A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
Extra sensory Perception
The claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input (telepathy, clairvoyance, pre recognition)
Parapsychology
The study of paranormal phenomena
Gestalt
An organized whole (tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes)
Figure Ground
The organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings
Grouping
The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into content groups
Depth Perception
The ability to see objects in three dimensions
Visual Cliff
Laboratory device used to test depth perception in infants and young animals
Binocular Cue
A depth clue, such as retinal disparity, that depends on the use of two eyes
Retinal Disparity
A binocular cue for perceiving depth that compares retinal images from two eyes to calculate the distance
Monocular Cue
A depth cue such as interposition or linear perspective, available to either eye alone
Phi Phenomenon
An illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
Perceptual Constancy
Perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change
Color Constancy
Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the objects
Perceptual Adaptation
The ability to adjust to changed sensory input
