PY111 Chapter 4: Sensing and Perceiving Our World

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from Chapter 4 of General Psychology.

Sensation

what happens when sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor

Perception

way that sensory information is interpreted and consciously experienced

Sensory adaptation

not perceiving stimuli that remain relatively constant over prolonged periods of time

Absolute threshold

minimum amount of stimulus energy that must be present for the stimulus to be detected $50\%$ of the time

Difference threshold

The smallest difference between two stimuli that a person can detect.

Selective Attention

Concentrating on certain information while filtering out other stimuli in the environment.

Inattentional blindness

failure to notice something that is completely visible because of a lack of attention

Depth perception

ability to perceive depth

Binocular cues

cue that relies on the use of both eyes

Binocular disparity

slightly different view of the world that each eye receives

Monocular cues

cue that requires only one eye

Perceptual constancy

The ability to recognize that an object stays the same despite changes in its appearance.

Figure-ground

segmenting our visual world into figure and ground

The Bodily Senses

Senses that provide information about touch, body position, movement, balance, and internal bodily states

The Chemical Senses

The senses of taste (gustation) and smell (olfaction), which detect chemicals in foods, drinks, and the environment.