Unit three vocab Flashcards
Gustav Fechner
studied our awareness of faint stimuli (like a bee wing on your cheek or a candle flame 30 miles away) and called them our absolute threshold.
Ernst Weber
one of the founders of experimental psychology. His studies on sensation and touch, along with his emphasis on good experimental techniques led to new directions and areas of study for future psychologists, physiologists, and anatomists.
David Hubel
American Canadian neurophysiologist noted for his studies of the structure and function of the visual cortex.
Torsten Wiesel
noted for his discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system
sensation
The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
sensory receptors
Sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli
perception
The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
bottom-up processing
Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brains integration of sensory information
top-down processing
Information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
selective attention
The focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
inattentional blindness
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere
change blindness
Failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of an intentional blindness
transduction
conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret
psychophysics
The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
absolute threshold
The minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
signal detection theory
A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of faint stimulus amid background stimulation. Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a persons experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness
subliminal
Below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness
difference threshold
The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experienced the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference
priming
the Activation, often unconsciously, certain associations, does predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response
Weber’s law
The principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage rather than a constant amount
sensory adaptation
Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
perceptual set
a Mental predisposition to percieve one thing and not another
extrasensory perception (ESP)
And the controversial claim that perception can occur from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
parapsychology
The study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis
wavelength
The distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wave lengths vary from the short clips of gamma rays to the long pulses of radio transmission
hue
Are the dimension of color that is determined by the wave length of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, etc.
intensity
Amount of energy in a lightwave or sound wave, which influence is what we perceive as brightness or loudness. It is determined by the waves amplitude.
cornea
The eyes clear, protective outer layer, covering the pupil and Iris
pupil
the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
iris
A ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
lens
The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
retina
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.
accommodation
In sensation and perception, the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina.
rods
Retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray. They are sensitive to movement. Necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond.
cones
retinal receptors that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well lit conditions. They detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations
optic nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
blind spot
The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a Blindspot because no receptor cells are located there
fovea
The central focal point in the retina around the eyes cones cluster.
Young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory
the theory that the retina contains three different types of color receptors, one more sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue, which, when studied in combination, can’t produce the perception of any color
opponent-process theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green.
feature detectors
Nerve cells in the brain’s visual cortex that responds to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement
parallel processing
processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions.
gestalt
An organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes
figure-ground
the organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings
grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
depth perception
The building to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two dimensional; allows us to judge distance
visual cliff
A laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals.
binocular cue
A depth cue, such as retinal disparity, that depends on the use of two eyes
retinal disparity
binocular cue for perceiving depth. By comparing retinal images from the two eyes, the brain competes distance – the greater the disparity between the two images, the closer the object
monocular cue
A depth cue, such as interposition or linear perspective, available to either eye alone
phi phenomenon
Illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
perceptual constancy
Perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change
color constancy
Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wave lengths reflected by the object
perceptual adaptation
The ability to adjust to changed sensory input, including an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
audition
the sense or act of hearing
frequency
Are the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
pitch
A tone’s experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency
middle ear
The chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum onto the cochleas oval window.
cochlea
Coiled, bony, fluid filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses.
inner ear
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacks.
sensorineural hearing loss
Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerve; the most common form of hearing loss, also called nerve deafness
conduction hearing loss
A less common form of hearing loss, caused by damage to the mechanical system that conduct sound waves to the cochlea
cochlear implant
I device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through the electrodes a threaded into the cochlea.
place theory
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we’re here with the place where the cochleas membrane is stimulated
frequency theory
In here, 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.
gate-control theory
Theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The gate is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or the information coming from the brain
olfaction
The sense of smell
kinesthesia
our movement sense – our systems for sensing that position and movement of individual body parts.
vestibular sense
Our sense of body movement and position that enables our sense of balance
sensory interaction
The principle that one cent may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
embodied cognition
The influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgments
