Sensation Psychology Test 2

What is sensation?

Process of detecting stimuli via sensory receptors.

What is transduction?

Conversion of sensory stimuli into neural signals sent to the CNS.

What are the major sensory systems?

Vision, hearing (audition), smell (olfaction), taste (gustation), touch (somatosensation), balance (vestibular sense), body position (proprioception), movement (kinesthesia), pain (nociception), and temperature (thermoception).

What is the absolute threshold?

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

What is the just noticeable difference (JND)?

The smallest difference in stimulus intensity needed to notice a change.

What are subliminal messages?

Stimuli below conscious awareness.

What factors affect perception?

Attention, sensory adaptation, motivation, beliefs/expectations, and cultural experience.

What does amplitude correspond to in sensation?

Loudness or brightness.

What does wavelength/frequency correspond to?

Pitch or color.

What range of light can humans see?

Approximately 380–740 nm.

What range of sound frequencies can humans hear?

Approximately 20–20,000 Hz.

What is the basic pathway of vision?

Cornea → Pupil → Lens → Retina (Fovea) → Optic Nerve → Occipital Lobe.

What are rods?

Photoreceptors responsible for night vision, low-light vision, and motion detection, especially in the periphery.

What are cones?

Photoreceptors responsible for color and detail, concentrated in the fovea.

What is the blind spot?

The area where the optic nerve exits the eye and there are no photoreceptors.

What is the optic chiasm?

The crossover point for visual fields.

What is the WHAT pathway?

The visual pathway responsible for object identification.

What is the WHERE/HOW pathway?

The visual pathway responsible for spatial awareness and interaction.

What is the trichromatic theory?

The theory that color vision is based on three types of cones sensitive to red, green, and blue.

What is the opponent-process theory?

The theory that color vision is organized into opposing pairs: black/white, red/green, and yellow/blue.

What supports the opponent-process theory?

Afterimages.

What are the three sections of the ear?

Outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear.

What structures are found in the outer ear?

Pinna and tympanic membrane.

What structures are found in the middle ear?

Ossicles: malleus, incus, and stapes.

What structures are found in the inner ear?

Cochlea, hair cells, and auditory nerve.

What is the auditory pathway?

Ear → Inferior Colliculus → Thalamus → Temporal Lobe.

What is monaural sound localization?

Sound localization using one ear.

What is binaural sound localization?

Sound localization using both ears and differences in intensity and timing.

What is conductive hearing loss?

A mechanical problem in the outer or middle ear.

What is sensorineural hearing loss?

Hearing loss caused by neural damage, such as Meniere’s disease.

What is congenital deafness?

Deafness that is present from birth.

What is gustation?

The sense of taste.

What are taste buds?

Receptor cells located on the tongue.

What are the basic tastes?

Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (+ fat? according to the study guide).

What is olfaction?

The sense of smell.

What is the olfactory pathway?

Olfactory receptors → Olfactory bulb → Limbic system.

What are pheromones?

Chemical signals that affect behavior.

What do Meissner’s receptors detect?

Light touch.

What do Pacinian receptors detect?

Vibration and pressure.

What do Merkel’s receptors detect?

Light pressure.

What do Ruffini receptors detect?

Stretch.

What is thermoception?

The sense of temperature.

What is nociception?

The sense of pain.

What is the vestibular sense?

A sense using inner-ear fluid to detect head position and movement.

What is proprioception?

Awareness of body position.

What is kinesthesia?

Awareness of movement.

What should you know about the sensory systems for studying?

Know the functions and pathways of each sense.

What is an important comparison to understand?

Sensation vs. perception.

What theories should you review?

Color vision theories and sound localization.

What real-life applications should you understand?

Hearing loss and illusions such as the Müller-Lyer illusion.