Unit 3 Sensory and Perception Flashcards
Sensation
detection of external stimuli via the 5 sense and the transmission of this information to the brain
Perception
process of organizing and interpreting sensory information so that it makes sense
transduction
conversion of sensory input into electrical impulses the brain can use to process info
Bottom-up processing
starts with stimulus and senses that are analyzed through the brain
Top-Down processing-
using knowledge, experience, or context to understand and interpret sensory information
Absolute threshold-
the weakest amount of a stimulus a person can detect 50% of the time
Difference threshold
minimum amount something needs to change before a person notices the change at least 50% of the time
weber’s law
two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage to be perceived as different
percetanges are the same for evryone
signal detection theory
predicting what to detect based on context
wavelength
the distance from wave peak to peak
determines color
amplitude
waves height
determines brightness/intensity
Pupil
controls the amount of light that enters the eye
allows light to pass through eye
Lens
focus light onto the retina of the eye allowing us to see in sharp detail
retina
converts light and sends signals to brain to form images
cornea
outer layer of eye that protexts wye from outside infilltrates and UV radiation
where light enters the eye
Iris
regulates the amount of light; adjusts pupil size
optic nerve
transmits info from retina to brain
blind spot
place where optic nerve leaves eye in order to send info to brain
cones
receptors in the retina that detect color and fine details
clustered in fovea
fovea
The depression in the very center of the macula where eyesight is sharpest.
Rods
receptors in the retina that enable black and white and peripheral vision
bipolar cells
connect rods and cones to gaglian cells
ganglian cells
axons make up optic nerve shich carries neural impules to the brain
trichromatic theory
explains that thre are 3 types of cones in the retina (red, blue, abd greeb)
when stimulted in combonaion, can produce any color
opponent processing theory
neurones work in pairs to help process color vision signals
red-green, blue-yellow, black-white
brains create after images (eyes send momentary images/illusions to brain after an image has disappeared)
color blindess
the inability to see colors in anormal way
impaired functioning of the cones
frequency
sound waves that can be measured by the lenght og the wave
pitch
descption of frequency
hearing
tiny hairs inside ear “feel” the sound and vibrate
die over time and cant regenerate
outer ear
gather sounds and funnel into ear canal
wax is made as protection to the inner ear
middle ear
air filled cavirty
turns sound waves into vibrations from ossicles (tiny bones) and deliveers to inner ear
separated from outer ear by drum
inner ear
vibrations turn into nerve signal sent to brain to help identify sounds
semicircular canals
halps with balance
filled with fluid and tine hairs
when head moves, fluid floshes, moving the hairs and sending messagee to the brain
Vestibular sense
allows us to maintain balance
Selective attention
tendency to focus on a particular stimulus among the many that are being received
Sensory adaptation
being able to ignore unthreatening/unchanging stimuli to focus on changing stimuli
divided attetntion
processing 2 stimuli and giving some attention to each
Cocktail Party effect
focus attention on one particular stimuli amidst the crazy loudness of others
Inattentional blindness
failing to notice visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
Change blindness
failing to notice changes in the visual environment
Subliminal message
message meant to be sent to slip past your mental radar and embed itself into the subconscious
gustation
taste
involves sensory interaction
in order to taste, you must be able to smell it
tongue has 200 taste buds wach w/ 50-100 receptors
taste sensations
sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami
Sensory interaction
one sense affecting another
Super taster
someone who has more taste receptors than normal
olfaction
smell
bypasses thalamus and processed in limbic system
olfactory receptors instantly alert the brain of smells through the olfactory bulb
touch
skin has receptors the specialize in pressure, cold pain, and warmth
colsely associated with emotion
gestalt
german word that means the whole
objects will be percieved in the simplest form
proximity
objects near each other tend to be seen as groups
Similarity
objects that are similar are grouped together by the brain
continuity
lines are seen as following the smoothest path
closure
grouping where we fill in the gaps to create complete whole parts
Figure ground
to instinctively put objects in the foreground or background
binocular cues
depth cues that require the use of 2 eyes
retinal disparity
differnce in teh location of an object’s image on each retina to peceive depth or distance
convergence
inward movement of both eyes when focusing on nearby objects to determine how far away an object is
i.e. finger to nose
relative shape/ shape constancy
shapes perceived as constant when various angles, positions and orientations
size constancy
object appears to have a constant size when viewed from various distances
constancies
perceiving objects as unchanging despite stimuli changes
movement
process through which humans and other animals oreient themselves to their own or others movements
Phi phenomenon
optical illusion that causes one to see several still images in a series as moving
monocular cues
cues that allow use to see depth through one eye
Interposition
placement of something between other things that structure your view of one object making it appear farther away
Linear perspective
perceiving 2 parallel lines to meet at a distance
Relative size
allows you to determine how close objects are to an object of known size
relative clarity
objects that appear sharp, clean and detalied are seen as closer than hazy objects
texture gradient
the progressively finer appearance of textures and surface grains as the viewer moves away from them
Visual cliff
research method used to study depth perception in infants and animals
