Unit 4 Key Terms Flashcards
Sensation
Information received from the environment.
(Ex. Feeling heat from the sun)
Perception
The way sensations are interpreted.
(Ex. One might feel the heat from the sun and interpret as good weather, while another might perceive it as too hot)
Transduction
The translation of a psychological stimulus into an emotional response.
(Ex. The smell of smoke is sent as a signal to the brain, and the signal is translated in the assumption that something is burning)
Absolute Threshold
The lowest level of stimuli that a person can detect.
(Ex. Someone whispers to their friend very quietly but makes sure that it isn’t too quiet to the point where their friend can’t hear it.)
Difference Threshold
The smallest possible change in a stimulus that a person can detect.
(Ex. A person is showering and only notices that the water is colder after it drops 5 degrees)
Top-Down Processes
When information is perceived based on knowledge or past experiences
(Ex. A person sees a dog and avoids it because they were bitten by one in the past)
Bottom-Up Processes
When sensory receptors receive signals for the brain to process
(Ex. A person touches a hot stove, the touch is detected by sensory receptors and sent to the brain to be processed as pain)
Sclera
The white part of the eye which supplies protection and construction to the eye
Cornea
The outermost transparent layer, which protects the iris and pupil. It allows light to enter the eye
Iris
The colored part of the eye which controls the size of the pupil (dilates or contracts)
Pupil
The opening (black part) in the center of the eye that allows for light to enter the eyeball
Lens
A transparent, curved structure which is located behind the pupil. It focuses on light coming in from the pupil and bends light to focus it on the retina
Retina
The tissue on the back of the eye which is sensitive to light. It contains two types of photoreceptors, rods and cones, which sees images upside down, but our brain turns it right-side up
Optic Nerve
It sends messages from the eye to the brain to help you analyze what you’re seeing. For example, the image in front of you, lets say a dog, is sent to the brain to be interpreted as a dog
Rods
A type of photoreceptor cell located in the outer parts of the retina. They help with peripheral vision and good vision in low light settings, but NOT with color
Cones
A type of photoreceptor cell located in the retina, that shows colors and small details
Opponent-Process Theory
A theory that states that color perception is managed by three receptor complexes with opposite actions. The three complexes are the red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white complex
Feature Detection
A process where the nervous system organizes stimuli into three categories: color, form, and motion
Audition (+ Sound)
When sound hits the ear. Sound is mechanical energy that is usually caused by the vibration of objects. These vibrations create sound waves (air molecules moving)
Frequency
The pitch of a sound. It is basically how high or low a sound is.
Amplitude
Corresponds to volume and is measured in decibals
Complexity
Corresponds to quality and is measured by looking at the shape of the soundwave
Place Theory
Differences in pitch result from stimulation of different areas of the basilar membrane. In other words, different sounds stimulate different parts of the ear, so we hear different pitches.
Frequency Theory
Differences in pitch result in different frequencies of sound waves that are sent to the auditory nerve. That is how we register different sounds.
Conductive deafness
When sound waves are unable to be transferred from outer to inner ear; causes include tumors, objects in ear canal, infections, otosclerosis (genetic; degeneration of the middle ear bones)
Sensorineural deafness
Damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve leading to the brain. Causes include infections, genetic defects, exposure to loud noises, trauma, high blood pressure, diabetes, MS
Gustation
The taste cells that are a chemical-sensitive receptors that are located in the taste bud clusters.
Touch Plasticity
When one of the areas of the skin is used a lot, it becomes a lot more sensitive, and the receptors start to “take over” more of the space in your brain that is corresponding to the sensory region of the brain
Depth Perception
The ability to see three dimensions (including the width, length, and depth) and is there to judge how far away an object is
Binocular Cues
The depth cues that are provided by both eyes
Monocular Cues
The depth cues that are provided by one eye
Sensory Adaptation
The reduction that comes from sensitivity to a stimulus after constant exposure to it
Relative Size
A monocular cue: All else being equal, more distant objects look smaller
Texture Gradient
A monocular cue: Object textures become less apparent farther away
Interposition
A monocular cue: If Object A is blocking our view of Object B, this must mean that Object A is closer to us than Object B. Also known as: occlusion.
Linear Perspective
A monocular cue: Parallel lines converge as distance increases, eventually meeting at a vanishing point
Height in Plane
A monocular cue: Distant objects tend to appear higher than closer objects.
Light and Shadow
A monocular cue: Objects cast shadows that show their 3-dimensional shape.
Binocular Disparity
Because our two eyes are offset, they produce two different images. Our brains use the disparity between these images to calculate depth.
Binocular Convergence
Looking at closer objects causes our eyes to converge. Our brains use this information to calculate depth. There is more convergence with closer objects.
