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AP Psychology > Unit 4: Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Unit 4: Sensation and Perception Flashcards

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1
Q

Sensation

A

The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.

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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 information.

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4
Q

Top-down processing

A

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations.

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5
Q

Selective attention

A

The focussing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.

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6
Q

Inattentional blindness

A

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

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7
Q

Change blindness

A

Failing to notice changes in the environment.

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8
Q

Choice blindness

A

failure to recall a choice immediately after we have made that choice

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9
Q

Psychophysics

A

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

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10
Q

Absolute threshold

A

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

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11
Q

Signal detection theory

A

A theory predicting how and when we detect a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends on a person’s experience, expectations, motivations, and alertness.

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12
Q

Subliminal Stimulation

A

Below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

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13
Q

Priming

A

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

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14
Q

Difference threshold

A

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

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15
Q

Weber’s Law

A

the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant % (rather than a constant amount)

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16
Q

Sensory adaption

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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17
Q

Transduction

A

conversion of one form of energy to another
ex) converting sights/sounds/smells to neural impulses

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18
Q

Wavelength

A

the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next

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19
Q

Hue

A

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

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20
Q

Intensity (amplitude)

A

the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude

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21
Q

Pupil

A

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

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22
Q

Iris

A

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

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23
Q

Lens

A

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

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24
Q

Retina

A

the light sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons, that begin the processing of visual information

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25
Q

Accommodation

A

the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

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26
Q

Rods

A

retinal receptors that detect black, white and grey; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond

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27
Q

Cones

A

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations

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28
Q

Optic nerve

A

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

*Ganglion cells are from the optic nerve

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29
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

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30
Q

Fovea

A

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

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31
Q

Feature detectors

A

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

*They pass on information to other cortical areas to respond complex patterns

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32
Q

Parallel processing

A

the processing of many aspects of a “problem” simultaneously (like vision)

*The brain divides a visual scene into sub dimensions, works on each aspect simultaneously, then constructs our perception by integrating the parallel parts

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33
Q

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory

A

the theory that the retina contains 3 different color receptors - one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue - which when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color

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34
Q

Opponent-process theory

A

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

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35
Q

Colour deficient vision

A

people who suffer red-green deficiency

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36
Q

Audition

A

the sense or act of hearing

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37
Q

Sound

A

is a longitudinal wave

38
Q

Amplitude

A

tells how loud a sound is

39
Q

Frequency (pitch)

A

the number of complete waves that pass a point (per second)
more waves = high pitch
less waves = low pitch

40
Q

Outer ear

A

consist of auditory canal and eardrum and pinna
they collect sound waves and start a chain reaction of vibrations

41
Q

Middle ear

A

the chamber that contains 3 tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that continue the vibrations

42
Q

Inner ear

A

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

43
Q

Cochlea

A

a coiled bony, fluid filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses

44
Q

Place theory

A

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

45
Q

Frequency theory

A

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

46
Q

Two ears

A

to locate the origin of sounds

47
Q

Conduction hearing loss

A

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

48
Q

Sensorineural hearing loss

A

hearing loss caused by damage to cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness

49
Q

Cochlear implants

A

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

50
Q

Touch

A

“the alpha and omega of affection” - William James

51
Q

Kinesthesis

A

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

52
Q

Vestibular sense

A

the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

53
Q

Gate control theory

A

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

54
Q

Psychological influences of pain

A
  • can be distracted from it
  • forget about it
  • brain can create pain
  • brain edits pain memory (child birth)
55
Q

Social-cultural influences of pain

A

we experience more pain, when others do as well

56
Q

Sweet

A

energy source

57
Q

Salty

A

sodium - essential to us

58
Q

Sour

A

potentially toxic acid

59
Q

Bitter

A

potential poisons

60
Q

Umami

A

proteins to grow and repair tissue

61
Q

Pleasing tastes

A

attracted our ancestors to energy or protein rich foods that enabled their survival

62
Q

Adverse tastes

A

deterred them from new food that might be toxic

63
Q

Taste

A

a chemical sense
taste buds have pores that catch food chemicals

64
Q

Sensory interaction

A

the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste

65
Q

Sense of smell

A

receptor cells send messages to the brain’s olfactory bulb, and then on to the temporal lobe’s primary smell cortex

66
Q

Gestalt

A

we constantly filter sensory information and infer perceptions in ways that makes sense to us

67
Q

Figure-ground

A

the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground)

68
Q

Grouping

A

the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into constant groups

69
Q

Proximity

A

we group nearby figures together

70
Q

Similarity

A

we group similar figures together

71
Q

Continuity

A

we perceive smooth continuous patterns, (not choppy ones)

72
Q

Connectedness

A

when things are uniformed and linked we see them as a single unit

73
Q

Closure

A

we fill in gaps to complete, whole objects

74
Q

Depth perception

A

the ability to see objects in 3 dimensions although the images that strike the retina are 2-dimensional; allows us to judge distances

75
Q

Visual cliff

A

a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

76
Q

Binocular cues

A

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

77
Q

Retinal disparity

A

a binocular cue for perceiving depth: By comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes the distance - the greater the disparity (difference) between two images, the closer the object

78
Q

Monocular cues

A

depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone

79
Q

Motion perception

A

normally your brain computes motion based on the assumption that shrinking objects are retreating and enlarging objects are approaching

80
Q

Phi phenomenon

A

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

81
Q

Perceptual constancy

A

perceiving objects as unchanging, even as illumination and retina images change

82
Q

Horizon cues

A

make it look farther away, therefore larger

83
Q

Color constancy

A

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

84
Q

Sensory deprivation

A

cuts a person off from as many sensory inputs as possible.

85
Q

Restored vision

A

Someone who doesn’t have sight can’t remember seeing, then has their vision restored, lacks schemas and absence of sensory and perceptual development.

86
Q

Perceptual adaptation

A

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

87
Q

Perceptual set

A

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

88
Q

Extrasensory perception (ESP)

A

the controversial claim that perception can occur from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition

89
Q

Telepathy

A

mind to mind communication

90
Q

Clairvoyance

A

perceiving remote events

91
Q

Precognition

A

perceiving future events

92
Q

Parapsychology

A

the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis

AP Psychology (14 decks)

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