Sensation
The process by which sensory receptor neurons detect information and transmit it to the brain.
Perception
The interpretation of sensory input.
Action
Motor activities prompted by sensory and/or perceptual information.
Constructivists
Those who believe perceptions are constructed through learning, aligning with the nurture perspective.
Nativists
Those who argue that innate capabilities and maturational programs drive perceptual development, aligning with the nature perspective.
Gibson's ecological theory of perception
Suggests that nature and nurture are inseparable and that perceptual information is readily available in the environment.
Visual acuity
The ability to perceive detail, which is poor at birth but improves significantly in the first month.
Visual accommodation
The ability of the lens of the eye to change shape to focus on objects at different distances.
Habituation
A method for assessing infant perception where the same stimulus is presented repeatedly until the infant loses interest.
Preferential looking
A technique used to assess infant perception by showing two different stimuli to see which one the infant prefers.
Evoked potentials
The measurement of electrical activity in the brain while an infant is exposed to stimuli.
Operant conditioning
A method of assessing infant perception by conditioning infants to respond to specific stimuli.
Dynamic systems theory
A theory stating that developments in motor skills occur through a self-organizing process incorporating sensory feedback.
Cross-modal perception
The ability to recognize through one sense an object familiar through another sense.
Selective attention
The ability to concentrate on one thing while ignoring others, which improves with age.
Presbyopia
The aging of the eye that results in decreased ability to see close objects.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
A condition where photoreceptors in the central macula deteriorate, leading to loss of central vision.
Presbycusis
Age-related problems of the ear that affect hearing sensitivity, especially to high frequencies.