AP Psycology - UNIT 2 - Sensation and Perception

Frequency theory best explains _______, while place theory best explains ________.

how we perceive low-pitched sounds; how we perceive high-pitched sounds

Which of the following is the correct order of structures light passes through in the eye?

cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina

The effect of prior experience and current expectations on perception best illustrates the importance of

top-down processing

A gestalt is best described as a(n)

organized whole

The green-colored ham and eggs had such a strange appearance that they tasted terrible to Sam. This illustrates the importance of

sensory interaction

Experiencing a green afterimage of a red object is most easily explained by

the opponent-process theory

We tend to perceive more pain when others around us also report feeling pain. This research finding indicates that pain perception is affected by both biological and what other influences?

social-cultural

Hearing a sequence of sounds of different pitches is to ________ as recognizing the sound sequence as a familiar melody is to ________.

sensation; perception

As the brain receives information about the lines, angles, and edges of objects in the environment, higher-level cells process and interpret the information to consciously recognize objects. This process best illustrates

perception

If Jared watches a nurse give him an injection, he experiences more pain than if he closes his eyes during the procedure and thinks about his favorite food. This illustrates the value of ________ for pain control.

distraction

Compared with rods, cones are

less sensitive to dim light and more sensitive to fine detail

The ability to detect whether your body is in a horizontal or vertical position depends most directly on

the vestibular sense

Some people are better than others at detecting slight variations in the tastes of various blends of coffee. This best illustrates the importance of

difference threshholds

During a hearing test, many sounds were presented at such a low level of intensity that Mr. Antall could hardly detect them. These sounds were below Mr. Antall's

absolute threshold

Which of the following is the correct sequence of structures that sound waves pass through on the way to the auditory nerve?

eardrum, hammer, anvil, stirrup, cochlea

Experiments with the visual cliff suggest that

the ability to perceive depth is at least partly innate

According to the gate-control theory, a back massage would most likely reduce your physical aches and pains by causing

activation of nerve fibers in your spinal cord

If the just-noticeable difference for a 10-ounce weight is 1 ounce, the just noticeable difference for an 80-ounce weight would be ________ ounce(s).

8

During the months when there is a large amount of pollen in the air, your hay fever severely affects your sense of smell. At the same time your food all seems to taste the same. This illustrates the importance of

sensory interaction

Because she was listening to the news on the radio, Mrs. Schultz didn't perceive a word her husband was saying. Her experience best illustrates

selective attention

sensation

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

perception

the process by which our brain organizes and interprets sensory information, enabling us to recognize object and events as meaningful

bottom-up processing

information processing that begins with the sensory receptors and workings up to the brains integration of sensory information (Ex: recognizing a friends voice in a noisy room)

top-down processing

information processing guided by our experience on expectations (Ex: closure - we fill in gaps)

transduction

the process of converting physical energy from the environment into neural signals that the brain can interpret

signal detection theory

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (background noise)

just noticeable difference

the smallest amount by which two stimuli must differ for a person to be able to tell they are different at least half the time

sensory adaptation

sensory receptors become less responsive to a continuous, unchanging stimulus over time

absolute threshold

the minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

Weber’s law

the principle that to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum (A larger initial stimulus requires a larger change to be perceived as different) (Ex:you would easily notice a single packet of sugar added to a small cup of coffee, but you wouldn't notice that same packet of sugar in a much larger cup of coffee)

frequency theory

the idea that pitch is perceived by the speed at which neurons in the auditory system fire

place theory

the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated (also called place coding)

sound waves when they travel through the ear

(Every house always stops cooking)

Eardrum, hammer, anvil, stirrup, cochlea

middle ear

hammer, anvil, and stirrup

semicircular canals

responsible for detecting head rotations and providing the sense of dynamic equilibrium for balance

cocktail party effect

the ability to focus ones attention on a particular stimulus which filtering out a range of other stimuli

change blindness

failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness

inattentional blindness

failing to see visible object when our attention is directed elsewhere

kinesthesis

the sense of your body's position, movement, and actions, allowing you to know where your limbs are without looking

afterimage effect

a visual illusion where you see an image after the original stimulus is removed, caused by the continued activation of photoreceptors in your eyes (Ex: Stare at a bright red dot for while, blink - green dot)

propagnosia

a neurological condition where an individual has difficulty recognizing faces, also known as "face blindness

Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

the theory that the retina contains three different types of color receptors, which when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color

rods

location in retina - periphery, sensitivity in dim light - high, color sensitivity - low, detail sensitivity - low

cones

location in retina - center, sensitivity in dim light - low, color sensitivity - high, detail sensitivity - high

light as it travels through the eye

(Chocolate is probably little risky)

Cornea, iris, pupil, lens, retina

opponent process theory

the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision

blind spot

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there

lens

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

retina

the light-sensitive back inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information

perceptual set

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

pain sensations

a complex sensation that serves as an aversive sensory and emotional experience often triggered by potential or actual tissue damage

gate-control theory

the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain

phantom limb pain

the sensation of pain in a body part that has been removed, such as an amputated limb

biopsychosocial approach to pain

recognizes that pain is a complex experience influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors, rather than just the result of tissue damage

umami

savory or meaty flavor

Gestalt

an organized whole

closure

like top down processing, we fill gaps in if we can recognize it

figure ground

the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground)

phi phenomenon

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

taste

chemical sense involving the perception of five basic tastes—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami

olfaction

sense of smell

sensory interaction

the principle that our different senses work together and influence one another to create a unified perception of the world