Powerpoint Chapter 5

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.