Untitled Flashcards Set

Sensation

The stimulation of sensory organs by environmental stimuli.

Transduction

The transformation of sensory energy from the environment into neural signals.

Perception

The brain's process of organizing and interpreting sensory input.

Absolute Threshold

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

Signal Detection Theory

A theory that describes how we detect signals amidst noise, incorporating response biases.

Difference Threshold (Just-Noticeable Difference)

The smallest difference between stimuli that can be noticed 50% of the time.

Weber’s Law

The principle that the perception of change in a stimulus is proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus.

Bottom-Up Processing

A perception process that starts with sensory input and builds upward to a final perception.

Top-Down Processing

A perception process that relies on prior knowledge and experiences to interpret sensory information.

McGurk Effect

A phenomenon demonstrating that what we see can influence what we hear.

Rods

Photoreceptors in the retina that are sensitive to light, allowing for black and white vision.

Cones

Photoreceptors responsible for color vision and high acuity, primarily found in the fovea.

Trichromatic Theory

A theory stating that color perception is based on three types of cones sensitive to red, green, and blue.

Opponent Process Theory

A theory explaining color perception through opposing pairs of colors processed by ganglion cells.

Blindsight

The ability of individuals with visual cortex damage to respond to visual stimuli despite being cortically blind.

Gestalt Psychology

A school of thought that emphasizes the human tendency to organize sensory information into meaningful wholes.

Depth Perception

The ability to perceive objects in three dimensions despite receiving two-dimensional images on the retina.

Monocular Cues

Depth cues that require the use of only one eye for perception.

Binocular Cue

Depth cue that involves both eyes; uses retinal disparity to perceive depth.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process where two stimuli become associated with each other.

Operant Conditioning

A learning method where behaviors are modified based on rewards and punishments.

Reinforcement

Any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Punishment

Any consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Shaping

The process of guiding behavior toward a desired goal by rewarding successive approximations of that behavior.

Cognitive Memory

The process of maintaining information over time, involving encoding, storage, and retrieval.

Sensory Memory

The initial brief storage of sensory information, characterized by high capacity and short duration.

Short-Term Memory

A temporary storage system that holds a limited amount of information for a brief period.

Long-Term Memory

An extensive storage system capable of holding large amounts of information for extended periods.

Explicit Memory

Memory that can be consciously recalled, including episodic and semantic memories.

Implicit Memory

Memory that cannot be consciously recalled, such as skills and conditioned responses.

How can understanding sensation and perception improve advertising strategies?

By leveraging knowledge about how sensory information is processed, advertisers can craft messages that are more likely to capture attention and influence consumer behavior.

In what ways does signal detection theory apply to medical diagnoses?

Signal detection theory can help healthcare professionals assess their ability to distinguish between true medical conditions and false positives in diagnostic tests.

How can knowledge of classical conditioning be applied in education to enhance learning?

Educators can use classical conditioning principles to create positive associations with certain learning environments or subjects, thus motivating students more effectively.

What is the relevance of depth perception in virtual reality experiences?

Understanding depth perception allows developers to create more immersive virtual reality environments that mimic real-world visual cues, enhancing user experience.

How might reinforcement strategies differ when applied to animal training versus human behavior modification?

While reinforcement can be used similarly for both, the nature of reinforcement (positive vs. negative) and the timing may need to be adapted to suit the learning capacities of animals versus humans.

How does the McGurk effect illustrate the interaction between visual and auditory stimuli?

This effect demonstrates that our perception is influenced by conflicting visual and auditory information, highlighting the importance of multisensory integration in communication.

What implications do the concepts of explicit and implicit memory have for designing educational programs?

An understanding of these memory types allows educators to create programs that reinforce explicit recall while also embedding skills and knowledge that enhance implicit memory.