ap psych unit 3 perceptions

Perception

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

Difference threshold

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time

Just noticeable difference (JND)

the minimal change in a stimulus that can just barely be detected

Weber's Law

principle that two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage rather than a constant amount to be perceived

Absolute thresholds

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

subliminal perception

the processing of information by sensory systems without conscious awareness

signal detection theory

the response to a stimulus depends both on a person's sensitivity to the stimulus in the presence of noise and on a person's response criterion; decision making about stimuli under conditions of

uncertainty

top-down processing

the use of preexisting knowledge to organize individual features into a unified whole

bottom-up processing

analysis that begins with the sense receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information

deductive reasoning

reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning.)

inductive reasoning

A type of logic in which generalizations are based on a large number of specific observations.

feature detectors

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement

divided attention

concentrating on more than one activity at the same time

selective attention

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Cocktail party effect

Ability to concentrate on one voice amongst a crowd

Stroop Effect

the tendency to read the words instead of saying the color of ink

selective inattention

-Blocking out those activities, objects, or concepts that produce anxiety

inattentional blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

change blindness

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

perceptual adaptation

the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

Habituation

an organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it

Gestalt

an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.

Figure-ground pattern

the figure is what is focused on and the ground is the blurry background which is likely ignored

grouping

tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

proximity principle

Gestalt principle of perception that states that parts of a visual stimulus that are close together are perceived as belonging together

similarity principle

consumers tend to group together objects that share similar physical characteristics

continuity principle

Gestalt principle of perception that states that lines or patterns that follow a smooth contour are perceived as part of a single unit

closure principle

people tend to perceive an incomplete picture as complete

connectedness principle

objects that are connected are perceived as a group

depth perception

the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance

visual cliff

a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

binocular cues

depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

convergence

A binocular cue for perceiving depth; the extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object

monocular cues

depth cues available to either eye alone

linear perspective

A monocular cue for perceiving depth; the more parallel lines converge, the greater their perceived distance.

Interposition

monocular visual cue in which two objects are in the same line of vision and one patially conceals the other, indicating that the first object concealed is further away

relative size

a monocular cue for perceiving depth; the smaller retinal image is farther away

relative height

a monocular cue for perceiving depth; objects higher in our field of vision are perceived as farther away

relative clarity

a monocular cue for perceiving depth; hazy objects are farther away than sharp, clear objects

light and shadow

a monocular cue for perceiving depth; a dimmer object seems farther away

texture gradient

a monocular cue for perceiving depth; a gradual change from a coarse distinct texture to a fine, indistinct texture signals increasing distance. objects far away appear smaller and more densely packed

motion parallax

a depth cue in which the relative movement of elements in a scene gives depth information when the observer moves relative to the scene

Stroboscopic movement/phi phenomenon

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

relative motion

As we move, objects that are actually stable may appear to move

perceptual constancy

perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change

color constancy

perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object

size constancy

the tendency to interpret an object as always being the same actual size, regardless of its distance

unconscious inference

our perceptions are the result of unconscious assumptions, or inferences, that we make about the environment

shape constancy

the tendency to interpret the shape of an object as being constant, even when its shape changes on the retina

lightness constancy

we perceive an object as having a constant lightness even while its illumination varies

Muller-Lyer Illusion

illusion of line length that is distorted by inward-turning or outward-turning corners on the ends of the lines, causing lines of equal length to appear to be different

Ponzo illusion

An illusion of size in which two objects of equal size that are positioned between two converging lines appear to be different in size. Also called the railroad track illusion.

moon illusion

An illusion in which the moon appears to be larger when it is on or near the horizon than when it is high in the sky.

perceptual set

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

Schemas

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

parapsychology

the study of paranormal phenomena

extrasensory perception (ESP)

perception of events outside the known channels of sensation

telepathy

transference of the thoughts and feelings of one person to another by no apparent means of communication (ESP)

Clairvoyance (ESP)

Perceiving remote events, such as a fire occurring in another area

Precognition (ESP)

Perceiving future events, such as cause of death

Psychokinesis

ability to move objects with one's mind