General S+P

Sensation

The process by which sensory receptors detect information from the environment.

Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Sensory Receptors

Specialized cells that detect environmental stimuli.

Transduction

The conversion of physical stimuli into neural signals.

Bottom-Up Processing

Perception based on incoming sensory information.

Top-Down Processing

Perception influenced by expectations, experiences, and knowledge.

Selective Attention

Focusing awareness on specific stimuli while ignoring others.

Perceptual Set

A tendency to perceive things in a certain way based on expectations.

Psychophysics

The study of relationships between physical stimuli and sensory experiences.

Absolute Threshold

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

Difference Threshold (Just Noticeable Difference)

The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli.

Weber’s Law

The principle that the just noticeable difference depends on the proportion of change, not the exact amount.

Signal Detection Theory

Theory explaining how detection depends on stimulus strength and psychological factors.

Sensory Adaptation

Reduced sensitivity to a constant stimulus over time.

Gestalt Principles

Rules describing how the brain organizes sensory information into meaningful patterns.

Figure-Ground Relationship

The tendency to distinguish objects from their background.

Closure

Filling in gaps to perceive complete objects.

Proximity

Grouping nearby objects together.

Similarity

Grouping similar objects together.

Continuity

Perceiving smooth, continuous patterns rather than abrupt changes.

Common Fate

Perceiving objects moving together as belonging together.

Perceptual Constancy

Perceiving objects as stable despite sensory changes.

Size Constancy

Perceiving objects as the same size despite distance changes.

Shape Constancy

Perceiving objects as having a constant shape.

Brightness Constancy

Perceiving brightness as stable under different lighting.

Visual Illusions

Misleading perceptions caused by the brain’s interpretation of stimuli.

Visual Cortex

Area in the occipital lobe responsible for processing vision.

Auditory Cortex

Area in the temporal lobe responsible for processing sound.

Somatosensory Cortex

Area in the parietal lobe responsible for processing touch.

Fusiform Face Area (FFA)

Brain area specialized for face perception