Sensation
The way sensory receptors and the nervous system receive information
Sensory Receptors
Sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli
Perception
Organizing and interpreting sensory information
Bottom Up Processing
Starting with sensory input
Top Down Processing
Expectation influencing the perception of something
Transduction
Converting one form of energy to another
Psychophysics
Relationships between physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychologic experience of them
Absolute Threshold
The minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time
Signal Detection Theory
How and when we detect the presence of faint stimulus amid background stimulus
Difference Threshold/JND
The minimum difference required for detection 50% of the time
Weber’s Law
Two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage
Sensory Adaptation
Diminished sensitivity to stimuli as a consequence of constant stimulation
Perceptual Set
Mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
Accomodation
When the eye lens changes shape to focus near and far objects
Rods
Sensory receptor in the eye that transduces light waves to neural impulses
Cones
Sensory receptors in the eye that detect fine detail and color
Young Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory
Theory that says the retina contains three different types of color cones
Opponent Process Theory
Theory that says cone photoreceptors are paired together and that the activation of one color of the pair inhibits activation of the other
Depth Perception
The ability to see objects in three dimensions
Binocular Cue
Depth cues that depend on the use of two eyes
Retinal Disparity
Comparing two retinal images
Monocular Cue
Depth cues available to each eye separately
Phi Phenomenon
Illusion when two or more lights blink in quick succession
Place Theory
Different sound waves trigger activity in different spots of the basilar membrane
Frequency Theory
The brain reads pitch by monitoring the frequency of neural impulses