unit 4: sensation and perception (16-21) Flashcards

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1
Q

sensation

A

the process by which our sensory receptors & 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 info

enables us to recognize meaningful events & objects

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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

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4
Q

top-down processing

A

info processing guided by higher level mental processes as we construct perceptions drawing on experience and expectation

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5
Q

selective attention

A

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

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6
Q

inattention blindness

A

failing to see visible objects when our attention is elsewhere

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7
Q

change blindness

A

failing to notice changes in the environment

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8
Q

out of sight

A

out of mind

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9
Q

transduction

A

conversion of one energy form into another

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10
Q

psychophysics

A

the study of the relationships between physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experience of them

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11
Q

threshold

A

the lowest point at which a stimulus causes a response

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12
Q

absolute threshold

A

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular response 50%

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13
Q

signal detection theory

A

a theory predicting how/when we detect stimuli amid background stimuli
assumes there’s no single absolute threshold and that detection partially depends on one’s psychological state

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14
Q

subliminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

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15
Q

priming

A

the activation, often unconscious, of certain associations which predispose one’s perception, memory, or response

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16
Q

difference threshold

A

minimum difference between 2 stimuli required for 50% detection

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17
Q

weber’s law

A

principle stating 2 stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (not a constant amount) to perceive change

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18
Q

sensory adaptation

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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19
Q

perpetual set

A

mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

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20
Q

ESP

A

controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input

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21
Q

parapsychology

A

the study of paranormal behavior

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22
Q

parapsychology concepts

A

telepathy
clairvoyance
precognition

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23
Q

telepathy

A

mind to mind communication

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24
Q

clairvoyance

A

perceiving remote events

ex. house fire in another state

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25
Q

precognition

A

perceiving future events

ex. unexpected death next month

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26
Q

light wave measurement

A

wavelength
amplitude
intensity
hue

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27
Q

wavelength

A

distance from one peak to the next

determines hue

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28
Q

long wavelength

A

low frequency

red or low pitch

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29
Q

short wavelength

A

high frequency

blue or high pitch

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30
Q

intensity/amplitude

A

the amount of energy

brightness or loudness

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31
Q

short amplitude

A

dull colors

quiet sounds

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32
Q

tall amplitude

A

bright colors

loud sounds

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33
Q

parts of the eye

A
pupil
iris
lens
retina
cornea
fovea
blind spot
optic nerve
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34
Q

pupil

A

adjustable opening in the center of the eye where light enters

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35
Q

iris

A

ring of colored muscle tissue that controls the size of the pupil

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36
Q

lens

A

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

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37
Q

retina

A

sensitive inner surface of the eye in charge of beginning the processing of visual informaton
contains rods and cones

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38
Q

accommodation

A

the process of the lens changing shape to focus on near/far objects on the retina

39
Q

rods

A

retinal receptors that pick up black, white, and grey
work in the dark - peripheral and twilight vision
dim light

40
Q

cones

A

retinal receptors that pick up color
work in well-lit conditions
detect fine detail and color sensation

41
Q

optic nerve

A

nerve carrying neural impulses from eye to brain

42
Q

blind spot

A

the point where the optic nerve leaves the eye

creates a blind spot because no receptor cells are here

43
Q

fovea

A

the center focal point in the retina

44
Q

right visual cortex

A

inner left & outer right eye

45
Q

left visual cortex

A

outer left & inner right eye

46
Q

feature detectors

A

nerve cells respond to specific features of stimuli such as shape, angle, and movement

47
Q

parallel processing

A

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously

48
Q

brain divides visual scenes into

A

motion
depth
form
color

49
Q

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory

A

theory that the retina contains 3 color receptors

red / green / blue

50
Q

opponent-process theory

A

theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision

red-green / yellow-blue / black-white

51
Q

gestalt

A

an organized whole

52
Q

fundamental truth

A

our brain does more than register information about the world

53
Q

figure-ground

A

the organization of the visual field into objects (figure) that stand out from the background (ground)

54
Q

grouping

A

the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

55
Q

types of grouping

A
proximity
continuity
similarity
simplicity
closure
56
Q

proximity

A

grouping nearby figures

57
Q

continuity

A

perceiving continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones

58
Q

similarity

A

grouping similar figures

59
Q

simplicity

A

the mind interprets in the simplest way possible

60
Q

closure

A

we fill in gaps to perceive complete, whole objects

61
Q

depth perception

A

the ability to perceive 2D objects as 3D

62
Q

Gibson and Walk experiment

A

visual cliff - cliff jumping babies

63
Q

binocular cues

A

cues on depth that depend on both eyes

64
Q

retinal disparity

A

the brain computes distance by comparing images from each retina
big disparity = close up
small disparity = far away

65
Q

monocular cues

A

cues on depth that depend on one eye

66
Q

phi phenomenon

A

illusion of movement from 2+ light blink in quick successions

67
Q

perpetual constancy

A

perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination & retinal images change

68
Q

color constancy

A

perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color even if illumination alters the wavelength reflected

69
Q

perpetual adaptation

A

in vision: the ability to adjust an artificially displaced/inverted field

70
Q

audition

A

the sense/act of hearing

71
Q

frequency

A
# of complete wavelengths that pass at a time
usually measured per second
72
Q

pitch

A

a tone’s experienced highness or lowness

73
Q

middle ear

A

chamber between the eardrum and the cochlea that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window
contains: hammer, anvil, stirrup (malleus, incus, stapes)

74
Q

cochlea

A

coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear

sound waves travel through the cochlear fluid to trigger nerve impulses

75
Q

inner ear

A

the inner most part of the ear

contains: cochlea, semicircular canals, and vesticular sacs

76
Q

sensorineural hearing loss

A

caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or auditory nerves
nerve deafness

77
Q

conduction hearing loss

A

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

78
Q

cochlear implant

A

device that converts sound to electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea

79
Q

place theory

A

theory linking the pitch we hear to a place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated

80
Q

frequency theory

A

theory that rates nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone
enables us to register its pitch

81
Q

gate-control theory

A

theory that the spinal cord has a neurological gate that blocks or allows pain signals to pass to the brain

82
Q

4 skin sensations

A

pressure
hot
cold
pain

83
Q

5 main tastes

A
sweet
salty
sour
bitter
umami
84
Q

kinesthesia

A

system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

85
Q

vestibular sense

A

the sense of body movement, position, and balance

86
Q

sensory interaction

A

the principle that one sense might affect/influence another

smell + taste + texture = flavor

87
Q

embodied cognition

A

the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states have on cognitive preferences and judgment

88
Q

vision

A

light waves striking the eye

rods and cones in the retina

89
Q

hearing

A

sound waves striking the outer ear

cochlear hair cells in the inner ear

90
Q

touch

A

pressure, warmth, coldness, pain on skin

skin receptors detect sensation

91
Q

taste/gustation

A

chemical molecules in the mouth

basic tongue receptors for the 5 tastes

92
Q

smell

A

chemical molecules breathed into the nose

millions of receptors in the nasal cavity

93
Q

body position/kinesthesia

A

any change in position of a body part

kinesthetic sensors all over the body

94
Q

body movement

A

movement of fluid in the inner ear caused by movement

hair-like receptors in the semicircular canals and the vestibular sacs