Psychology 101: Perception and Cognition

These flashcards focus on key vocabulary related to perception, cognition, and psychological principles.

Perception

The process by which sensory impulses are organized and interpreted.

Sensation

The detection of physical energy emitted or reflected by physical objects.

Perceptual Set

A predisposition that influences what we perceive based on recent experience or context.

Gestalt Psychology

A theory of psychology that emphasizes the whole of anything as greater than its parts.

Synesthesia

A condition in which the stimulation of one sensory modality consistently evokes a sensation in another.

Inattentional Blindness

A psychological phenomenon where an individual fails to perceive an unexpected stimulus in plain sight.

Selective Attention

The process of focusing on a particular object in the environment for a certain period of time.

Task Switching

Going back and forth between two tasks, which can reduce efficiency and speed.

Cognitive Development

The progression of learning and understanding through various cognitive skills and capabilities throughout life.

Empirical Evidence

Information acquired by observation or experimentation that is used as a basis for forming conclusions.