UNIT 3 Flashcards
define transduction
the sensory process that converts energy, such as light or sound waves, into the form of neural messages
absolute threshold
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time
difference threshold (or JND)
the minimum difference that a person can detect between two stimuli
Weber’s Law
for people to really perceive a difference, the stimuli must differ by a constant proportion, not a constant amount
A law of magnitude that is more accurate that Fechner’s law and covers a wider variety of stimuli
Steven’s power law
Fechner’s Law
The size of JND is proportional to the intensity of the stimulus; the JND is large when the intensity of the stimulus is high
Assumes that we do not have an absolute threshold
signal detection theory
4 visual sensations
color, form, boundary, movement
opponent processing theory
there are some color combinations that we never see, such as reddish-green or yellowish-blue
realized that any color can be created by combining the light waves of 3 primary colors
young-helmholtz trichromatic theory
What is the place theory of hearing?
different hairs vibrate in the cochlea when they interpret different pitches
frequency theory (hearing)
All the hairs vibrate, but at different speeds (the rate of nerve impulses travelling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch)
which sense tells us where we are oriented, and where is it?
vestibular, tiny hairs in the semicircular canal of the inner ear
Which of our senses keeps track of body parts, relative to each other, and where are its receptors?
kinesthetic : joints, muscles, tendons
Gate Control Theory of Pain
the spinal cord has a neurological “gate” that can block or allow in pain signals
Where are pain signals ultimately routed?
the anterior cingulate cortex, located along the fissure separating the frontal lobes
Analysis that emphasizes the characteristics of the stimuli over our concepts and expectations
bottom-up processing
top-down perception
analysis that emphasizes the perceiver’s expectations and other cognitive factors, rather than individual characteristics
The ability to recognize the same object as remaining “constant” under changing conditions is called
perpetual consistency
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere is called
in-attentional blindness
What is change blindness?
failing to notice change in the environment around us
Failure to notice a change in a previously selected item is
choice blindness
Gestalt psychology divides perceptual experience into
Figure and Ground
What is perceptual set?
a readiness to detect a particular stimulus in a given situation
The Gestalt principle that we tend to group similar objects together in our perceptions
Law of similarity
Law of Proximity
Gestalt principle that we tend to group objects together when they are near each other
Law of common Fate
the Gestalt principle that we tend to group similar objects together that share a common motion or destination
Law of Pragnanz
The Gestalt principle which states that the simplest organization, requiring the least cognitive effort, will emerge as the figure
Ability to focus one’s listening attention on a single talker among a mixture of conversations and background noise, ignoring other conversations
What is the retinal disparity (binocular parallax)
refers to the fact that our eyes are about 6.3 centimeters apart on our face on average, and, as a result, each sees the world from a slightly different angle
convergence
when watching an object close to us, our eyes point slightly inward
if something is blocking our view, we perceive it as closer
interposition
if we know that two objects are similar in size, the one that looks smaller is farther away
relative size
relative clarity
we assume hazy objects are farther away
Texture gradient
the coarser it looks the closer it is
things higher in our field of vision look farther away
relative height
linear perspective
parallel lines seem to converge with distance
light and shadow
dimmer objects appear farther away because they reflect less light
Phi phenomenon
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in succession
