Sensation, Perception, and Neuroscience Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards defining fundamental terms in perception, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience.

Sensation

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

Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling recognition of meaningful objects and events.

Selective Attention

The focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus while ignoring competing environmental input.

Ambiguous Figures

Visual images that can be perceived in two or more distinct ways depending on cognitive interpretation.

Paradigm

A distinct set of concepts, theories, or standards that define a foundational framework for understanding reality.

Frames of Reference

Sets of ideas, assumptions, or conditions that determine how a situation is perceived and evaluated.

Schema

A cognitive structure or framework that organizes and interprets incoming information based on prior knowledge.

Paradigm Shift

A fundamental change in the basic concepts and underlying practices of a scientific discipline or worldview.

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of human flourishing, well-being, and optimal functioning to help individuals thrive.

Reframing

A cognitive process of changing the conceptual or emotional framework surrounding a situation to alter its meaning.

Neurons

Specialized nerve cells that receive, process, and transmit information throughout the nervous system.

Well-being

A state of holistic health, happiness, satisfaction, and optimal physical and mental functioning.

Selective Perception

The tendency to perceive and interpret sensory information in a manner consistent with pre-existing beliefs and expectations.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize its neural structure and connections in response to learning, experience, or injury.

Synapse

The minute junction across which a nerve impulse passes from one neuron to a target cell.

Flourishing

A state of positive mental health characterized by high levels of psychological, emotional, and social well-being.

Predictive Coding

A theory of brain function where the neural system continuously generates top-down predictions about incoming sensory data.

Functional Fixedness

A cognitive bias that restricts a person from seeing an object beyond its traditional or conventional use.

Hippocampus

A deep temporal lobe brain structure essential for learning, memory formation, and spatial navigation.

Brain reserve

The brain's resilience and capacity to improvise and adapt when facing neuropathology or age-related decline.

Distributed Processing

A functional neural framework where cognitive functions and computations are carried out across multiple interconnected brain areas.

Epigenetics

The study of environmental and behavioral influences that alter gene expression without changing the DNA sequence.

Neural Darwinism

A theory proposing that neural circuits develop and adapt through a process of selection and competition.

Neurogenesis

The biological process by which new functional neurons are created in the nervous system.