Sensation and Perception Overview

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards representing key concepts from the sensation and perception lecture.

Sensation

The process of detecting and transmitting sensory info to the brain.

Transduction

The conversion of sensory stimuli into neural signals.

Absolute threshold

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

Just-noticeable difference

The smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected.

Sensory adaptation

Reduced sensitivity to constant stimulation.

Weber’s Law

The JND is a constant proportion of the original stimulus.

Sensory interaction

When one sense affects another.

Synesthesia

A condition where senses blend together.

Retina

The light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye containing photoreceptors.

Blind spot

The part of the retina with no receptors where the optic nerve exits.

Visual nerve (Optic nerve)

Carries visual info from the retina to the brain.

Lens

Focuses incoming light onto the retina.

Accommodation

The process of the lens changing shape to focus.

Nearsightedness

Can see close objects clearly, far objects blurry.

Farsightedness

Can see distant objects clearly, close objects blurry.

Photoreceptors

Cells in the retina that detect light (rods and cones).

Rods

Cells that detect black, white, and gray; work in low light.

Cones

Cells that detect color; need more light.

Trichromatic theory

Theory that the eye has three types of cones sensitive to red, green, and blue.

Opponent-process theory

Theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision.

Afterimages

Seeing an image’s opposite colors after staring at it.

Ganglion cells

Neurons that gather visual info and send it through the optic nerve.

Dichromatism

Color blindness where one of the three cone types is missing.

Monochromatism

Total color blindness; only see shades of gray.

Prosopagnosia

Inability to recognize faces.

Blindsight

Ability to respond to visual stimuli without consciously seeing them.

Wavelength

Determines the pitch of a sound or color.

Pitch

The highness or lowness of a sound, based on frequency.

Amplitude

Height of the sound wave; determines volume.

Loudness

Our perception of a sound's volume, influenced by amplitude.

Pitch perception

How we perceive the frequency of sounds.

Place theory

Suggests that pitch is determined by the location of stimulation on the cochlea.

Volley theory

Neurons fire in alternating bursts to detect higher frequencies.

Frequency theory

Pitch is detected by the frequency of neural impulses matching the sound's frequency.

Sound localization

The ability to detect where a sound is coming from.

Conduction deafness

Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system.

Sensorineural deafness

Hearing loss due to damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve.

Olfactory system

The sensory system for smell.

Thalamus

Brain’s relay station for sensory info (except smell).

Pheromones

Chemical signals released by the body to communicate socially or sexually.

Gustation

The sense of taste.

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami, oleogustus

The six basic taste sensations.

Taste receptors

Cells on taste buds that detect specific flavors.

Supertasters

People with extra taste buds, making them very sensitive to certain tastes.

Medium tasters

People with an average number of taste buds.

Nontasters

People with fewer taste buds; taste sensitivity is reduced.

Warm/cold receptors

Skin receptors that detect temperature changes.

Gate control theory

The spinal cord contains a 'gate' that can block or allow pain signals.

Phantom limb

The feeling that an amputated limb is still present and can experience sensations.

Vestibular sense

Sense of balance and body position, located in the inner ear.

Semicircular canals

Structures in the inner ear involved in maintaining balance.

Kinesthesis

The sense of body movement and position of body parts.