Unit 3: Sensations & Perception Flashcards
Cornea
light enters thru here, bends light waves to help provide focus.
The eye’s clear protective outer layer, covering the pupil & iris.
Pupil
light passes thru pupil
the adjustable opening in the center of eye,
Iris
surrounds the pupil & dilates/constricts in response to light intensity to control the size of the pupil opening
a ring of muscle tissue that forms colored part of eye,
Responds to your cognitive & emotional state
- Sunny sky imagination, saying no, disgust - constricts, pupil get small
- dark sky, lustful, - dilates, pupil gets bigger
Lens
transparent structure behind pupil
changes shape (curvature & thickness) to help focus images on retina (ACCOMMODATION - specifically far/near object focus)
Retina
light sensitive inner surface of eye
containing receptor rods & cones + neuron layers that begin processing visual info
Rods
retinal receptors that detect gray, black, white,
sensitive to movement
necessary for peripheral & twilight vision when cones dont respond
Cones
retinal receptors (at the retina’s center), work in daylight/well-lit conditions,
detect fine lines/details & gives rise to color sensations
Optic Nerve
carries neural impulses from eye to brain, info highway
Blind Spot
the point where the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot bc no receptor cells are there
Fovea
the central focal point in retina, eye’s cones cluster in & around here
Middle Ear
chamber between the eardrum & cochlea containing 3 tiny bones (hamer, anvil, stirrup), concentrates eardrum vibrations on cochlea’s oval window
Cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in inner ear
sound waves traveling thru cochlear fluid causes ripples in basilar membrane,
bending surface hair cells & triggers nerve impulses
Semicircular canals
fluid filled tubes in inner ear that provide info about head movement
Weber’s Law
(principle)
to be perceived as diff, 2 stimuli must differ by a constant minimum % (instead of constant amount #) - proportionate difference instead of absolute diff
Exact % varies depends on stimulus
Ex: 2 lights must differ in intensity by 8%, 2 objects must differ in weight by 2%, 2 tones must differ in frequency by only 0.3%
“difference threshold” is the absolute smallest difference between 2 similar stimuli “just noticeable difference”
Binocular Cues
depth cues, depends on the use/input from BOTH eyes
Ex: Retinal disparity: binocular cue for perceiving depth, by comparing retinal images from 2 eyes, brain calculates distance – the bigger the difference between 2 images, the closer the object
Ex: Convergence: a binocular cue for perceiving depth; the more the eyes strain to turn inwards to view an object, the closer the object is
Monocular Cues
Depth cues, (ex: interposition, linear perspective), input from ONE eye alone, often used in 2D art to create depth illusion
Ex: Linear perspective: parallel lines appear to meet in the distance (ex a long train track)
Ex: Interposition: if 1 object partially blocks view of another, we think it is closer
Sound Waves
HEIGHT/amplitude of sound waves (shape varies) determines LOUDNESS
big amplitude = louder sound
small amplitude = softer sound
We measure sound amplitude/height in decibels w/ 0 decibels representing absolute threshold got hearing
Every 10 decibels - 10fold increase in sound intensity
The length (frequency) determines the PITCH (high/low tone) we experience
Long wavelength = low frequency = low pitch
Short wavelength = high frequency = high pitch
Frequency
of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (ex: per second); determines perception of hue (dimension of color that is determine by the wavelength of light) in light & of pitch in sound
Pitch
a tone’s experienced highness/lowness; depends on frequency (or wavelength) of sound waves
Vestibular Sense
Sense of BODY/HEAD MOVEMENT & POSITION -> enables sense of BALANCE, fast
enabled by feedback (sends nerve signals) from fluid-filled semicircular canals & calcium crystal-filled vestibular sacs in inner ear
- Hairlike receptors in canals & sacs shifts in response to motion (When head rotates/tilts, organ movements) stimulations, sends nerve signals -> cerebellum at back of brain
Interaction of Senses/Sensory Interaction
principle that one sense may influence another, (as when the smell of food influences taste)
Ex: vision & hearing - a weak flicker of light becomes more visible when accompanied w/ a short burst of sound, can hear sounds more easily if paired w/ visual cue
What happens when senses disagree?
If our eyes see a speaker form of 1 sound but ears hear another sound…brain may perceive 3rd sound that blends both inputs
If we see mouth movements for ga while hearing ba, we can perceive da (McGurk effect)
Embodied cognition
influence of bodily sensations, gestures, & other states on cognitive preferences & judgements
Physical warmth may promote social warmth
Social exclusion can literally feel cold
Judgements of others may mimic body sensations
Synaesthesia
when a stimulation of 1 sense (such as hearing a sound) produces an experience of another (such as seeing color)
Vision
Source: Light waves striking the eye
Receptors: Rods & Cones in Retina
Occipital lobe
Hearing
Source Sound waves striking the outer ear
Receptors: Cochlear hair cells in the inner ear
Temporal Lobe
Touch
Source: pressure, warmth, cold, pain
Receptors: most in the skin, detect pressure, warmth, cold, pain
Somatosensory cortex
Taste
Source: chemical molecules in mouth
Receptors: basic tongue receptors for sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami
Frontal temporal lobe border
Smell
Source: chemical molecules breathed in thru nose
Receptors: millions of receptors at top of nasal cavity
Olfactory bulb
Body Position - Kinesthesia
Source: any change in position of a body part
Receptors: kinesthetic sensors in joints, tendons, muscles
Cerebellum
Body Movement - Vestibular Sense
Source: movement of fluids in inner ear caused by head/body movement
Receptors: hairlike ear receptors (semicircular canals & vestibular sacs)
Cerebellum
Describe the sensory processes, including the specific nature of energy transduction, relevant anatomical structures, and specialized pathways in the brain for each 5 senses.
Vision’s transduction starts off with our eyes that uses light to convert into electrical signals within the rods, cones, and ganglion cells in our retina. information is then processed within our visual cortex into the image we see. If one has poor vision, one can have either nearsightedness (objects are easier to seer when it is up close than farther away from the retina) or farsightedness (objects are easier to see when it is farther away then up close from the retina).
Auditory transduction is when our ear can transform changes within air pressure into vibrations within the basiliar membrane. Within the basiliar membrane, it vibrates causing the hairlike receptors to bend. These bending of hairs can lead to a change in the electrical potential within the hair. If one has poor hearing or none at all, it can lead to conduction hearing loss (damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea) or nerve hearing loss (damage to the cohclea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerve).
wavelength
the distance from peak of 1 light/sound wave to the peak of the next
hue
dimension of color, determined by wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, etc
sensorineural hearing loss
the hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness
conduction hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
