sensation

sensation

process by which sensory receptors and nervous system recieve and represent stimulus energies from environment

sensory receptors/receptor cells

sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli

perception

process by which brain organizes and interprets sensory information

bottom-up processing

info processing that begins w/ sensory receptors and works up to brain’s integration of sensory info

top-down processing

info processing guided by higher-level mental processes, drawing on experiences and expectations

transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another

psychophysics

study of relationships between physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experience of them

absolute threshold

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

signal detection theory

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

depends on experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness

subliminal

below one’s absolute threshold

priming

when exposure to one stimulus influences a person’s response to another stimulus

sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation