PSY 101 – Chapter 4: Sensation & Perception

Vocabulary flashcards for Sensation & Perception from PSY 101 Chapter 4 study guide.

Iris

Colored part of the eye; controls size of the pupil.

Pupil

Opening through which light enters; size adjusts with lighting.

Lens

Focuses light onto retina.

Rods

Specialized for low-light vision; poor with color.

Cones

Specialized for color and detail; work best in bright light.

Afterimages

Prolonged stimulation fatigues certain color channels, producing opposite-color rebounds (explained by the opponent-process theory).

Binocular cues

Depth perception cues that require two eyes.

Retinal disparity

Slightly different views from each eye combine to perceive depth.

Monocular cues

Depth perception cues that can be seen with one eye.

Linear perspective

Monocular cue where parallel lines appear to converge (e.g., highway lanes at horizon).

Texture gradient

Monocular cue where details are visible up close, but blended at a distance (e.g., wheat fields).

Aerial perspective

Monocular cue where distant objects appear hazier due to particles in the air.

Motion parallax

Monocular cue where nearer objects move faster across the retina than distant ones (e.g., cars below an airplane appearing to grow quickly in size).

Relative size

Monocular cue where smaller retinal images are perceived as farther away.

Gestalt psychology

Emphasizes perceiving wholes rather than disconnected parts in perceptual organization.

Gestalt Principles

Key principles of perceptual organization including closure, similarity, proximity, and continuity, emphasizing perception of wholes.

Place Theory

Theory of pitch where different locations on the basilar membrane respond to different frequencies (best explains high frequencies).

Frequency Theory

Theory of pitch where hair cells and auditory neurons fire at the same rate as the sound wave (best explains low frequencies).