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Psychology Sensory and Perception Vocab > Vocab Quiz > Flashcards

Vocab Quiz Flashcards

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1
Q

absolute threshold

A

smallest level of stimulus that can be detected

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2
Q

bottom-up processing

A

an explanation for perceptions that start with an incoming stimulus and work upward until a representation of the object is formed in our minds

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3
Q

change blindness

A

a perceptual phenomenon that occurs when a change in a visual stimulus is introduced and the observer does not notice it

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4
Q

accommodation

A

part of the adaptation process that involves altering one’s existing schemas, or ideas, as a result of new information or new experiences

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5
Q

audition

A

the formal phrase for hearing

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6
Q

cochlea

A

the spiral cavity of the inner ear containing the organ of Corti, which produces nerve impulses in response to sound vibrations.

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7
Q

binocular cues

A

provide depth information when viewing a scene with both eyes

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8
Q

blind spot

A

place on the retina out where the optic nerve leaves the eye, no receptors (rods/cones) are located here

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9
Q

cochlear implant

A

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

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10
Q

color constancy

A

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

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11
Q

difference threshold

A

The smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected half the time.

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12
Q

extrasensory perception

A

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

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13
Q

conduction hearing loss

A

Occurs when sound vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the inner ear are blocked

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14
Q

fovea

A

The central spot of the retina, which contains the greatest concentration of cones.

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15
Q

cones

A

The 6 million receptor cells located mostly in the center of the retina that transduce light waves into neural impulses, thereby coding information about light, dark, and color.

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16
Q

depth perception

A

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

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17
Q

feature detectors

A

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

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18
Q

inattentional blindness

A

hen you fail to see visible objects when your attention is focused elsewhere

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19
Q

inner ear

A

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

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20
Q

monocular cues

A

Eight visual cues that can be seen with one eye and that allow us to perceive depth.

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21
Q

intensity

A

amount of energy in a light or sound wave, we perceive as brightness

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22
Q

iris

A

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye

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23
Q

kinesthesis

A

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

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24
Q

figure-ground

A

This is the idea that we naturally organize what we see into objects (figures) that stand out from their backgrounds.

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25
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.

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26
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.

27
Q

frequency

A

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second).

28
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.

29
Q

gestalt

A

Describes how people perceive visual elements as wholes; similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, figure, and ground.

30
Q

grouping

A

first proposed by Gestalt to account for the observation that humans naturally perceive objects as organized patterns

31
Q

hue

A

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth

32
Q

lens

A

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

33
Q

sensorineural hearing loss

A

Occurs when There is damage to the vestibulocochlear (auditory) nerve.

34
Q

optic nerve

A

nerve that carries impulses from the eye to the brain

35
Q

subliminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness.

36
Q

top-down processing

A

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

37
Q

parallel processing

A

the processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.

38
Q

parapsychology

A

the study of mental phenomena that are excluded from or inexplicable by orthodox scientific psychology (paranormal things)

39
Q

perception

A

The process of organizing and interpreting information received from the outside world.

40
Q

perceptual constancy

A

The tendency for perceptions of objects to remain relatively unchanged, in spite of changes in raw sensations.

41
Q

phi phenomenon

A

the apparent motion of two stimuli that are presented to a viewer in rapid succession

42
Q

pitch

A

The experience of sound vibrations sensed as high or low.

43
Q

place theory

A

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

44
Q

opponent-process theory

A

The theory of color vision contending that the visual system has two kinds of color processors, which respond to light in either the red-green or yellow-blue ranges of wavelength.

45
Q

priming

A

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

46
Q

psychophysics

A

A specialty area of psychology that studies sensory limits, sensory adaptation, and related topics.

47
Q

pupil

A

The opening of the iris.

48
Q

weber’s law

A

A law stating that the amount of change in a stimulus needed to detect a difference is in direct proportion to the intensity of the original stimulus.

49
Q

retina

A

light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, contains receptor rods and cones to process visual information

50
Q

retinal disparity

A

differences between the images received by the left eye and the right eye as a result of viewing the world from slightly different angles.

51
Q

rods

A

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray

52
Q

selective attention

A

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.

53
Q

sensation

A

The process of receiving, translating, and transmitting messages from the outside world to the brain.

54
Q

sensory adaptation

A

Process in which responsiveness to an unchanging stimulus decreases over time.

55
Q

perceptual set

A

a mental predisposition (tendency) to perceive one thing and not the other.

56
Q

sensory interaction

A

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

57
Q

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory

A

the theory that the retina contains three 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.

-red -green -blue

58
Q

perceptual adaptation

A

our remarkable ability to adjust to changing sensory input. If you wear glasses, you can probably relate to this example. When you get a new prescription, initially you may feel a little dizzy or out of sorts.

59
Q

signal detection theory

A

Investigates the effects of the distractions and interference we experience while perceiving the world.

60
Q

transduction

A

The translation of energy from one form to another.

61
Q

vestibular sense

A

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

62
Q

visual cliff

A

an experiment in which depth perception is tested on infants and young animals.

63
Q

wavelength

A

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

Psychology Sensory and Perception Vocab (1 decks)

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