psychology test 1 chapter 3

Sensation

The process that occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated, allowing various forms of outside stimuli, to become neural signals.

Perception

The way your brain organizes and interprets sensations so they become meaningful.

Absolute threshold

minimum detectable stimulus

Difference threshold

smallest noticeable change

Signal detection theory

accuracy of judgements under uncertainty

When you stop noticing the smell of perfume after a few minutes, this is _______ __________.

sensory adaptation

When your brain stops paying attention to constant background noise, this is ___________.

habituation

Cornea

Curved, transparent dome that protects the eye and bends (refracts) most of the incoming light so the image can be focused on the retina.

Iris

Colored part of the eye; a ring of muscle that controls the size of the pupil and thus how much light enters the eye, helping focus the image.

Pupil

Opening in the center of the iris; changes size depending on the amount of light in the environment, letting more or less light into the eye.

Lens

Transparent disc behind the pupil that changes shape to bring objects into focus on the retina.

Retina

Innermost light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye where incoming light is converted into nerve impulses; contains the photoreceptors (rods and cones), plus bipolar and ganglion cells.

Rods

Photoreceptor cells concentrated in the periphery of the retina (not in the fovea); very sensitive to low light and changes in brightness; responsible for black‑and‑white and peripheral vision but with low visual acuity.

Cones

Photoreceptor cells concentrated in the fovea; require bright light, provide high visual acuity (sharp detail), and are sensitive to different wavelengths, making them responsible for color vision.

Pinna

The visible, external part of the ear that acts as a funnel to direct sound waves into the ear canal.

Ossicles (hammer, anvil, stirrup)

These the three tiny bones in the middle ear that amplify vibrations from the eardrum. The stirrup transmits these vibrations to the oval window, initiating a chain reaction in the inner ear.

Cochlea

Fluid-filled, snail-shaped structure in the inner ear where sound vibrations are converted into neural signals.

Basilar membrane

Located within the cochlea, it vibrates response to sound and supports the organ of Corti, which contains the hair cells.

Hair cells

Sens receptors located on the organ of Corti that convert mechanical vibrations into electrical signals sent to the brain via the auditory nerve.

Taste buds are located in the _______.

Tongue

Molecules must be ________ in saliva to be detected.

Dissolved

List the top five basic tastes

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami (savory brothy)

Proposed sixth taste related to fats

Oleustus

The sense of smell is also called __________.

Olfaction

Olfactory receptor hairs are called _________.

Cilia

Olfactory signals travel directly to the _________ bulb.

Olfactory

Which skin receptor responds to pressure?

Pacinian corpuscles

Which theory explains pain signals passing through a spinal “gate”?

Gate-control theory

The kinesthetic sense tells us

About the movement of the body

The vestibular sense helps us detect

Spatial orientation and movement

Motion sickness is explained by the ________ conflict theory.

Sensory