Unit 4 Flashcards
sensation
the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our enviorment
perception
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
bottom-up processing
sensation more important to interpretation than perception (part to whole)
top-down processing
perception is more important than sensation (whole to part, expectations)
absolute threshold
minimum stimulation to detect a stimulus
signal detection theory
absolute thesholda are affected by our psychological status
difference threshold
minimum difference required to tell the difference between two very similar stimuli
webers law
difference threshold is in direct proportion to the intensity of a stimulus
sensory adaptation
after a while, we stop noticing stimuli if it doesn’t change
transduction
conversion of one form of energy into another
subliminal
below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness
priming
the activation, often unconsciously of certain associations thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response
perceptual set
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
schemas
concepts formed by experience that we use to organize and interpret unfamiliar information
context effects
context or surroundings that may affect our interpretation of our environment
iris
the colored part of eye regulates size of the pupil based on light
lens
performs accommodation, focuses on close and distance
accommodation
focusing on close or distant things, change in focus
fovea
center of retina, greatest cone concentration, sharpest focus
blind spot
where the optic nerve exits the eye
wavelength
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next wave
hue
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light
intensity
the amount of energy in a light or sound wave which influences what we perceive as brightness or loudness
pupil
the adjustable opening in the center of the eye which light enters in
retina
the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye containing receptor rods and cones plus neurons that begin the visual information process
cones
retinal receptors that detect color
rods
retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina (night vision)
optic nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
amplitude
height of waves that determine the brightness of color
young helmholtz theory
three types of cones, red, green, and blue. color results from the simulation of different combinations
opponent processing theory
cells in the retina and thalamus are turned on and off by opposite colors. ex red/green
gestalt
the whole may exceed the sum of the parts, organized whole
figure-ground
the organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings
grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
proximity
things that are close together belong together
similarity
more powerful than proximity
continuity
a straight line is a continuation
closure
filling in gaps
connectedness
creating a whole
binocular cues
depth cues that require two eyes
retinal disparity
slightly different views seen by each eye
convergence
eyes turn inward or outward slightly, the brain uses it to determine the depth
monocular cues
depth cues that can be seen with one eye, artists
relative size
larger means closer (monocular cue)
interposition
if one object blocks the view of another it must be closer (monocular)
relative clarity
hazy objects are farther away (monocular)
texture gradient
coarse texture means closer (monocular)
relative height
objects in the high field of vision are farther away (monocular)
relative motion
objects beyond the fixation point move with you, objects between you and the fixation point move backward (monocular)
linear perspective
parallel lines converge with distance (monocular)
relative brightness
brighter objects are closer (monocular)
motion perception
how do we know things are moving
stroboscopic movement
rapid series of different pictures as movement
phi phenomenon
2 lights blink on and off and it looks like a light is moving in between them
perceptual constancy
the object seems unchanged even though the stimuli received change
color constancy
a color appears the same despite changes in light because of our experience
perceptual adaptation
the ability to be artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
audition
the sense of act or hearing
frequency
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
pitch
a tone experiences highness or lowness
middle ear
bones that conduct vibrations between the eardrum and cochlea
inner ear
the inner most part of the ear containing the cochlea, semi-circular canals, and vestibular sacs
cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid filed tube in the inner ear
cochlear implant
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
place theory
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated
depth perception
the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images are two dimensional
conduction hearing loss
less common form of hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
sensorineural hearing loss
most common form of hearing loss also called nerve deafness
nociceptors
sensory receptors that enable the perception of pain in response to potentially harmful stimuli
gate control theory
the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain
phantom limb pain
patients perceive pain in missing body parts
olfaction
smell
kinesthesis
the sense of our body position and movement
vestibular sense
monitors head position through semicircular canals in the ear. helps maintain balance
visual capture
when senses conflict
just noticeable difference
the minimum level of stimulation that a person can detect 50% of the time
acuity
sharpness of thought, vision, or hearing
bipolar cells
neurons in the retina, transfer visual information from photoreceptors to ganglion cells
ganglion cells
neurons in the retina, conveying information from other retinal neurons to the rest of the brain
basilar membrane
within the cochlea of the inner ear which separates two liquid-filled tubes that run along the coil of the cochlea
frequency theory
neurons fire at the same frequency of sound waves, fast=high
sensory interaction
one sense may affect the other
embodied cognition
the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states of cognitive preferences and judgments
extrasensory perception (esp)
the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input
parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomena
telepathy
communication of thoughts or ideas by means other than the known senses
clairvoyance
perceiving things or events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact
precognition
foreknowledge of an event
psychokinesis
the supposed ability to move objects by mental effort alone.
