Introduction to psychology: Week 3

Signal Detection Theory

A model for predicting how and when a person will detect a weak stimulus, partly based on context (ex:late at night awareness rises)

Reaction to the 5 senses

affected by factors unrelated to the intensity of the stimulus itself

Webber’s Law

We perceive differences on a logarithmic scale rather than linear scale.

How does vision work?

eyes take in energy from light then forms it to neural messages, brain organizes into sight called transduction

Chromostereopis

Pure colors at the same distance from the eye appear at different distances

Hue and Brightness

Hue is determined by length and frequency of light waves whereas, brightness is determined by the amplitude

Light Complexity

Determines saturation or purity of color

Rods and Cones

Rods give sensivitiy (dim light) to see at night, Cones are fine details in bright light - color.

Edge Detection

edge can be created by a difference in color brightness or both

Parallel Processing

ability to process and analyze many aspects of the situation at once.