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AP Psych > Unit Three test > Flashcards

Unit Three test 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

sensory receptors

A

sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli

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3
Q

perception

A

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

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4
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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5
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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6
Q

selective attention

A

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

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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; a form of inattentional blindness

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9
Q

transduction

A

in sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights and sounds, into neural impulses our brains can interpret

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10
Q

absolute threshold

A

the minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

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11
Q

signal detection theory

A

a theory that assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person’s experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness

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12
Q

difference threshold

A

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection; sometimes called the just noticeable difference (j.n.d.)

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13
Q

Weber’s Law

A

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

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14
Q

sensory adaptation

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation (e.g. getting used to the temperature of a pool)

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15
Q

perceptual set

A

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

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16
Q

cornea

A

the eye’s clear, protective outer layer, covering the pupil and iris

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17
Q

pupil

A

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

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18
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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19
Q

lens

A

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

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20
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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21
Q

retina

A

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

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22
Q

rods

A

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray, and are necessary for peripheral and twilight vision

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23
Q

cones

A

retinal receptor cells that detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations

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24
Q

optic nerve

A

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

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25
Q

fovea

A

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

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26
Q

parallel processing

A

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for for many functions, including vision

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27
Q

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory

A

the theory that the retina contains three different types of 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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28
Q

opponent-process theory

A

the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, blue-yellow, black-white) enable color vision; this theory explains negative afterimages

29
Q

audition

A

the sense or act of hearing

30
Q

frequency

A

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

31
Q

pitch

A

a tone’s experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency

32
Q

eardrum

A

a tight membrane located at the end of the ear canal that vibrates when struck by sound waves

33
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

34
Q

cochlea

A

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

35
Q

semicircular canals

A

three fluid-filled canals in the inner ear responsible for our sense of balance

36
Q

sensorineural hearing loss

A

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

37
Q

conduction hearing loss

A

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

38
Q

cochlear implant

A

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

39
Q

place theory

A

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

40
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 its pitch

41
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

42
Q

nociceptors

A

sensory receptors that enable the perception of pain in response to potentially harmful stimuli

43
Q

gustation

A

the sense of taste

44
Q

olfaction

A

the sense of smell

45
Q

kinesthesia

A

our movement sense; our system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

46
Q

vestibular sense

A

our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance

47
Q

sensory interaction

A

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

48
Q

synesthesia

A

a phenomenon where the stimulation of one sense (such as hearing sound) triggers an experience of another (such as seeing color)

49
Q

Gestalt psychology

A

an early perspective in psychology that focused particularly on the perception of integrating pieces into meaningful wholes

50
Q

law of proximity

A

Gestalt principle of grouping nearby figures together

51
Q

law of continuity

A

Gestalt principle of perceiving smooth, continuous patterns rather than discontinuous ones

52
Q

closure

A

Gestalt principle of filling in gaps to create a complete, whole object

53
Q

depth perception

A

the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance

54
Q

visual cliff

A

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

55
Q

binocular cue

A

a depth cue, such as retinal disparity, that depends on the use of two eyes

56
Q

Retinal disparity

A

by comparing retinal images from the two eyes, the brain computes distance; the greater the disparity (difference) between the two, the closer the object

57
Q

monocular cue

A

a depth cue, such as interposition, available to either eye alone

58
Q

relative height

A

a depth cue stating we perceive objects higher in our field of vision as farther away

59
Q

relative size

A

a depth cue stating if we assume two objects are similar in size, we perceive the one that appears smaller as farther away

60
Q

interposition

A

a depth cue stating if one object partially blocks our view of another, we perceive it as closer

61
Q

perceptual constancy

A

perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent color, shape, and size) even as illumination and retinal images change

62
Q

linear perspective

A

a depth cue stating parallel lines appear to meet in the distance; the sharper the angle of convergence, the greater the perceived distance

63
Q

perceptual adaptation

A

the ability to adjust to changed sensory input, including an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

64
Q

extrasensory perception (ESP)

A

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

65
Q

parapsychology

A

the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis

66
Q

telepathy

A

mind-to-mind communication

67
Q

precognition

A

perceiving future events, such as an unexpected death in the next month

68
Q

clairvoyance

A

perceiving remote events, such as a house on fire in another state

69
Q

Auditory nerve

A

connects to and sends signals to the brain

AP Psych (6 decks)

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