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AP Psychology > Unit 4 - Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Unit 4 - Sensation and Perception Flashcards

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1
Q

Snesation

A

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environments

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2
Q

perception

A

conscious sensory experience. 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

aka data based 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

aka knowledge based information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experiences and expectations

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5
Q

selective attention

A

when we shift our gaze, we aren’t just looking somewhere else, but shifting our attention there as well

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6
Q

divided attention

A

everyday life we have to pay attention to a number of things at once (ex: driving a car)

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7
Q

inattentional blindness

A

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

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8
Q

change blindness

A

failing to notice changes in the environment

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9
Q

transduction

A

receive sensory stimulation, transform stimuli into neural impulses, and deliver neural info to our brain

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10
Q

psychophysics

A

study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them

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11
Q

absolute threshold

A

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

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12
Q

signal detection theory

A

predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amind background stimulation (depends partly on experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness)

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13
Q

submiminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

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14
Q

priming

A

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response

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15
Q

difference threshold

A

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time (just noticeable difference)

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16
Q

Weber’s law

A

principle that to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage rather than a constant amount

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17
Q

sensory adaptation

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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18
Q

perceptual set

A

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not the other

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19
Q

emotions and motivation

A

Perceptions are influenced not only by expectations and context but also by emotions and motivation

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20
Q

extra sensory perception (ESP)

A

controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input (ex: telepathy, clairvoyance, and recognition)

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21
Q

parapsychology

A

study of paranormal phenomena including esp and psychokinesis

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22
Q

vision

A

we see objects in the environment because light is reflected from these objects into the eye

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23
Q

electromagnetic spectrum

A

continuum of electromagnetic energy which is produced by electric charges that is radiated as waves

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24
Q

wavelengths

A

distance between peaks of waves - vary in distance and pusles

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25
Q

Hue

A

dimension of color

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26
Q

Intensity

A

amount of energy in light/sound wave (brightness or loudness)

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27
Q

eye

A

focusing mechanism, lens and cornea, and the retina

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28
Q

pupil

A

adjustable opening in the center of the eye

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29
Q

iris

A

ring of muscle tissue that forms the coloured portion of the eye (controls the pupil opening)

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30
Q

lens

A

transparent structure behind pupil changes shape to adjust for distances for the retina (accommodation)

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31
Q

cornea

A

fixed in place - covers the front of the eye

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32
Q

retina

A

light sensitive inner surface of the eye containing the receptor rods and cones

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33
Q

rods

A

detect black white and gray necessary for peripheral and twilight vision

34
Q

cones

A

detect fine detail and color sensations, daylight (cluster around fovea)

35
Q

optic nerve

A

nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.

36
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.

37
Q

fovea

A

central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster

38
Q

feature detectors

A

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus such as shape, angle, or movement

39
Q

parallel processing

A

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously

40
Q

Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

A

theory that the retina contains three different color receptors (red, green, blue)

41
Q

Opponent Process Theory

A

the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. (Herring)

42
Q

Gestalt Theory

A

an approach to psychology that focuses on developing principles of perceptual organization proposing that “the whole differs from the sum of its parts”

43
Q

Figure-Ground

A

the organization of the visual field into the objects that stand out from their surroundings

44
Q

grouping

A

the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

45
Q

proximity

A

things that are near to each other often appear to be grouped together

46
Q

continuity

A

points that, when connected, result in straight or smoothly curving lines (smoothest path)

47
Q

closure

A

we fill in gaps to create a complete, whole object

48
Q

Depth perception

A

the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two dimensional (judge distance)

49
Q

Visual Cliff

A

lab device used to test depth perception in infants and young animals

50
Q

Binocular Cues

A

depth cues such as retinal disparity that depend on the use of two eyes

51
Q

retinal disparity

A

binocular cue for perceiving depth. Brain computes the distance in disparity (distance).

52
Q

monocular cues

A

depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone (ex. Relative height and size
Relative motion - things that are stable seem to move
Linear perspective - parallel lines appear to meet in the distance
Light and shadow - shading produces a sense of depth)

53
Q

phi phenomenon

A

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

54
Q

amblyopia

A

lazy eye (brain favors one eye over the other) treatments include vision therapy, eye exercises, and patching

55
Q

strabismus

A

eye turns (the eyes look in different directions = focusing on different things in each eye) treatments include vision therapy, eye exercises, and patching

56
Q

perceptual constancy

A

perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change

57
Q

color constancy

A

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

58
Q

perceptual adaptation

A

in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

59
Q

audition

A

the sense of hearing

60
Q

frequency

A

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time

61
Q

pitch

A

a tone’s experienced highness or lowness based on frequency

62
Q

middle ear

A

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window

63
Q

cochlea

A

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlea trigger nerve impulses

64
Q

inner ear

A

the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs

65
Q

sensorineural hearing loss

A

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves (nerve deafness)

66
Q

conduction hearing loss

A

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

67
Q

cochlear implant

A

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

68
Q

place theory

A

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear to the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated

69
Q

frequency theory

A

in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense pitch

70
Q

hairy skin

A

contains hair cells, which detect movement and pressure

71
Q

glabrous skin

A

contain no hair cells, more sensitive (palms, feet, lips)

72
Q

gate control theory

A

spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain

73
Q

Dennis Turk

A

defined 3 subtypes
Dysfunctional - high levels of pain and psychological distress (highly inactive)
Interpersonally distressed - little social support and significant others don’t take pain seriously
Adaptive copers - less pain and social distress (function at relatively high levels)

74
Q

Taste and smell

A

Sweet salty bitter umami and sour
20 mill olfactory receptor cells 350 receptor proteins

75
Q

odor molecules

A

trigger combinations of receptors in patterns that the olfactory cortex interprets

76
Q

kinesthesia

A

system for sensing and movement of individual body parts

77
Q

vestibular sense

A

sense of body movement and position including balance

78
Q

propioception

A

loss of the ability to move unless they can see themselves move. In the dark such individuals become limp and collapse

79
Q

sensory interaction

A

one sense may influence another

80
Q

embodied cognition

A

influence of body sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments

AP Psychology (8 decks)

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