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Psychology > Unit 3 Vocab - Sensation > Flashcards

Unit 3 Vocab - Sensation Flashcards

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1
Q

sensation

A

the faculty through which the external world is apprehended
occurs when the sensory nerves are activated by a stimuli

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2
Q

perception

A

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

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3
Q

bottom-up processing

A

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory info

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4
Q

top-down processing

A

info processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experiences and expectations

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5
Q

psychophysics

A

the physical relationship between the physical characteristics of stimuli (intensity), and our physcal experience of them

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6
Q

absolute threshold

A

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

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7
Q

signal detection theory

A

theory predicting how and when we detect the prescence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation
assumes no single absolute threshold and detection depends on the person

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8
Q

subliminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

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9
Q

priming

A

the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations - predisposes perception, memory, and response

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10
Q

difference threshold (Just Noticeable Difference)

A

the minimum difference between 2 stimuli required for detection 50% of the time

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11
Q

Weber’s Law

A

the principle that, for 2 stimuli to be perceived as different they must differ by a constant minimum percentage, not a constant amount

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12
Q

sensory adaptation

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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13
Q

transduction

A

conversion of one form of energy into another
the transforming of stimuli into neural impulses

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14
Q

wavelength

A

the distance between crests of waves

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15
Q

hue

A

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light waves

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16
Q

intensity

A

the amount of energy in a light/sound wave
determines brightness/loudness as determined by the amplitude of a wave

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17
Q

pupil

A

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

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18
Q

iris

A

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil, controls the size of the pupil

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19
Q

lens

A

transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

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20
Q

accommodation

A

adapting our current understandings to incorporate new info

21
Q

retina

A

light sensitive inner surface of he eye
contains receptor rods and cones + layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual info

22
Q

acuity

A

sharpness or keenness of vision/hearing/etc.

23
Q

nearsightedness

A

nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because the eye is elongated

24
Q

farsightedness

A

faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the eye is shortened

25
Q

rods

A

retinal receptors that detect white/black/gray
necessary for peripheral and twilight vision when cones don’t respond

26
Q

cones

A

retinal receptor cells that are connected near the center of the retina
function in daylight/well-lit conditions
detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations

27
Q

optic nerve

A

nerve at the back of the eye that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

28
Q

blind spot

A

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye creating a blind spot because no receptor cells are located there

29
Q

fovea

A

the central focal point in the retina where the cones of the eye cluster

30
Q

feature detectors

A

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus (shape, angle, movement)

31
Q

parallel processing

A

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously
it is the brain’s natural mode of info processing for many functions

32
Q

Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

A

retina contains 3 different color receptors - blue, green, red

33
Q

opponent process theory

A

theory opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision
ex. some cells are stimulated by green and inhibit red, and others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green

34
Q

color constancy

A

perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object

35
Q

audition

A

the sense or act of hearing

36
Q

frequency

A

the number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time

37
Q

pitch

A

a tone’s highness/lowness
depends on frequency

38
Q

middle ear

A

the chamber between the eardrum and the cochlea
contains 3 bones - hammer, anvil, and stirrup, that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window

39
Q

cochlea

A

the fluid-filled, coiled tunnel in the inner ear that contains the receptors for hearing

40
Q

inner ear

A

structures and liquids that relay sound waves to the auditory nerve fibers on a path to the brain for interpretation of sound

41
Q

place theory

A

the theory that the pitch we hear is linked with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated

42
Q

frequency theory

A

the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of tone which enables us to sense its pitch

43
Q

conduction hearing loss

A

hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

44
Q

sensorieneural hearing loss

A

hearing impairment caused by lesions or dysfunction of the cochlea or auditory nerve

45
Q

cochlear implant

A

device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea

46
Q

gate-control theory

A

theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass
gate opened by activity of pain going up small nerve fibers, closed by large fibers/info coming from brain

47
Q

sensory interaction

A

principle that one sense may influence another
ex. when smell influences taste of food

48
Q

kinesthesis

A

the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

49
Q

vestibular sense

A

sensoery structure located in structures of the inner ear that registers the orientation of the head

Psychology (19 decks)

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