Unit 1.6 to 2.2

absolute threshold

the point you can detect given stimulus 50% of the time

amplitude

height of wave from center (show loudness of sound)

difference threshold/just noticeable difference (JND)

how much change in stimulus is necessary before perceive change in stimulus

intensity

strength/magnitude of stimulus that affects its perceived brightness/loudness/strength

sensation

process sensory organs detect physical energy/stimuli from environment and send info to brain

sensory adaptation

decrease responsiveness to stimuli due to constant/steady stimulation 

sensory interaction

process 5 senses work with and influence each other (help taste food, understand convo)

synesthesia

brain routes sensory info through multiple unrelated senses, experience more than 1 sense simultaneously, stimulation of 1 sense trigger another

transduction

transforming sensory signals to neural impulses

wavelength

how fast wave vibrates/number of cycles per sec, determine pitch of sound

weber’s law

JND between 2 stimuli is constant proportion of original stimulus (ratio/proportional)

accommodation

the process eye adjusts focus to see objects clearly at different distances

afterimages

visual illusion remains in vision after looking away from image (stare too long at color, opposite color appears)

blind spot

spot on retina with no vision, no receptor cells where optic nerve exits eye

blindsight

brain damage in visual cortex, cant see but brain processes visual information unconsciously

cones

receptor cells in fovea responsible for color and detail

dichromatism

1 cone type is missing/not working, see only 2 primary colors

farsightedness

see far but not close

ganglion cells

transmit rod/cone info to brain

lens

focus light onto back of retina by changing shapes

monochromatism

rare condition, no functioning cones, only see black, white, and shades of gray, light sensitive, blurry

nearsightedness

see close but not far

opponent process theory

brain process colors by making opposing pairs (red vs. green, blue vs. yellow, black vs. white), 1 active and 1 inhibited

optic nerve

pathway that transmits signals from the eye to brain’s visual cortex for processing

photoreceptor

cells in retina that detect light, transduce it

prosopagnosia

damage temporal lobe, face blindness, brain disorder, cannot recognize faces but identify objects normally

retina

contains rods/cones where light is transduced

rods

on retina help with light and dark

trichromatic theory

see colors because eyes have 3 types of cones in retina that respond to red, green, and blue light, different combination of cones result in all colors

audition

hearing, detecting and interpreting sound waves

basilar membrane

part of cochlea that moves with sound vibrations and stimulates hair cells for hearing

cochlea

spiral shaped fluid filled structure in inner ear contain hair cells, hair cells convert sound vibrations into electrical signals sent to brain by auditory nerve

conduction deafness

type of hearing loss, damage to system that transmit sound waves to cochlea, most often bones in middle ear

frequency

number of sound waves (vibrations) per second (determine pitch)

frequency theory

hear different pitches because different sound waves trigger neural impulses to brain at same rate as sound wave

inner ear

cochlea, semicircular canals, responsible for hearing and balance.

middle ear 

chamber between the eardrum and the cochlea, amplify and transmit sound vibration to inner ear include hammer, anvil, and stirrup

pitch

how high/low sound (determined by frequency)

place theory

hear different pitches because different sound waves trigger activity at different places along cochlea’s basilar membrane

semicircular canals

3 looped shaped structure in inner ear involved in maintaining balance and detecting head movement, filled with fluid and lined with sensory hair cells

sensorineural deafness

damage to cochlea’s hair cells/auditory nerve, some sounds heard more softly/not at all

sound localization

ability to identify position and changes in position of sound sources based on acoustic info

gate control theory

non-painful sensory input dampen/block painful sensations from reaching brain, “gate” open and close block some pain/feel pain

gustation

sense of taste

kinesthesis sense

enables control and coordination over movements (walking, talking, facial expressions, gestures, posture)

oleogustus

taste of fats and oils 

olfactory system

sensory system responsible for smell (detects and processes odor molecules in air)

phantom limb

ability to feel sensations and even pain in limbs that no lover exist

pheromones

chem signals released that affect behavior of others in their species (not 100% proven in humans)

supertasters

extremely sensitive to some tasters (including spicy), high number of taste buds, highly sensitive to bitterness, women more likely

taste receptors

special sensory cells on tongue ( in parts of mouth and throat) that detect chemicals in food and drinks and send signals to brain to taste

vestibular sense

enables maintenance of balance in part controlled by semicircular canals which contain receptors that detect motions of head

volley theory

neural cells work together, alternating when they fire, operating in rapid succession, achieve combined frequency above 1000 waves per sec

warm/cold receptors

sensory nerve endings in skin that detect changes in temperature, part of your somatosensory system (sense of touch)

apparent movement

something looks like its moving but isn’t, brain creates illusion of motion

attention

process of selectively concentrating on certain information to process deeply

binocular depth cues

use both eyes to perceive depth

bottom up processing

begins with sensory input, brain processes raw data from environment without relying on prior knowledge/expectation

change blindness

form of inattentional blindness, fails to notice changes in environment

closure

tendency to perceive incomplete figure as whole, synthesize missing units to perceive incomplete forms as complete forms, effect closing gap

cocktail party effect

type of selective attention, attend to only 1 voice at a time

convergence

rotation of 2 eyes inward as object gets closer (cross eyed)

figure ground

principle where perceptions have 2 parts (figure/object that stands out in good contour and distinct background)

Gestalt

idea we perceive objects and patterns as whole form, not just as collection of separate parts

inattentional blindness

occurs when you fail to notice something fully visible because attention focused somewhere else

interposition

2 objects in same line of vision and close object is fully in view, partly conceals farther objects

linear perspective

parallel objects seem to get closer together as they go farther away, looks like they meet at one point on horizon but doesn’t irl

monocular depth cues

depth perception using 1 eye

perceptual set

tendency for expectations/emotions/prior experiences to shape and influence how we perceive sensory info in given situation

proximity

organize objects close to each other into groups and interpret as single identity

relative clarity

nearer objects clearer in detail, more distant objects less distinct

relative size

objects are same size but closer objects look larger

retinal disparity

slight difference between right and left retinal images, different position of eyes produce disparity of visual angle, slightly different image received by each retina

schema

mental framework that helps organize and interpret info based on past experiences and knowledge

selective attention

conscious awareness on a particular stimulus, allowing us to filter out irrelevant information

similarity

organize objects close to each other into groups and interpret as single identity

texture gradient

decline in resolution of textures as viewers move away

top down processing

brain uses prior knowledge, experiences, and expectations to interpret sensory info, filling in gaps and shaping perceptions

accommodation

the process where the eye adjusts its focus to see objects clearly at different distances

algorithms

step-by-step, logical procedure for solving a problem that guarantees an accurate solution, though it may take time

assimilation

process of interpreting new experiences by fitting them into existing schemas

availability heuristic

mental shortcut, judgements based on info most easily brought to mind (recent, vivid, distinctive)

convergent thinking

type of thinking that narrows down many possibilities to determine the single best answer to a problem (logic)

creativity

ability to think in new and original ways coming up w unique ideas/solutions/perspectives that go beyond conventional patterns

divergent thinking

type of thinking that involves generating multiple, creative solutions to a problem (imagination)

executive functions

cognitive processes allow individuals to generate, organize, plan and carry out goal directed behaviors and experience critical thinking

framing

way an issue or question is presented, which can significantly affect decisions and judgments

functional fixedness

type of cognitive bias, limits person to using objects only in way traditionally used, block creativity problem solving

gambler’s fallacy

mistaken belief held by some people that independent events interrelated

heuristics

simple thinking strategies allow quick, efficient problem solving and decision making, sometimes lead to errors

mental set

fixed approach to solving problems based on past experiences (worked once, work again)

priming

activation, often unconsciously of particular associations in memory

prototypes

mental image or best example that helps us quickly sort new information

representativeness heuristic

cognitive shortcut people judge the likelihood of something based on how closely it matches a prototype, often ignoring relevant statistical information

sunk cost fallacy

tendency to continue course of action one has already invested money/time/effort