PSY 200 - Sensory Perception

Sensory Processing

the brain receiving, interpreting, and organizing input from all of the active senses at any given moment

Sensory Integration

the neurological process that organizes sensation from one’s own body and the environment and makes it possible to use the body effectively within the environment

Absolute Threshold

minimum amount of physical energy that can be detected 50% of the time

Difference Threshold

minimum difference in physical energy between 2 stimuli and must be large enough to be detected 50% of the time

Just Noticeable Difference (JND)

the minimum difference in stimuli required to detect a change or a difference between stimuli

Signal Detection Theory

uses a technique used to determine the ability of the perceiver to separate a true signal from background noise

Sensory Receptors

specialized neurons that respond to specific type of stimuli

Bottom-Up Processing

system in which perceptions are built from sensory input

Top-Down Processing

interpretation of sensations is influenced by available knowledge, experiences, and thoughts

Muller-Lyer Illusion

differing perceptions on length of horizontal lines

Monocular Depth Cues

the info in the retinal image that gives us info about depth and distance but can be inferred from just a single retina (or eye)

Gestalt Psychology

field of psychology based on the idea that the whole is different from the sum of its parts

Multisensory Integration

the process by which the nervous system combines info from different senses

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

a difference in the way your brain understands and responds to info from your senses

Synesthesia

a neurodifference in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway