quiz 2

Sensation

The act of sensing the real world information.

Perception

The state of being or process of becoming aware of something through the senses.

Transduction

Conversion of an external stimulus into a neural signal.

Sensory Adaptation

Adjustment of sensory neurons sensitivity based on recent stimulus history.

Illusion

Perception where the way we perceive a stimulus does not match its physical reality.

Signal Detection Theory

Theory of how stimuli are detected under different conditions.

Absolute Threshold

The lowest level of a stimulus needed for the nervous system to detect a change 50% of the time.

Difference Threshold

The amount of stimulus energy required to produce a Just Noticeable Difference (JND).

Cocktail Party Effect

The ability to focus on a single conversation in a noisy environment.

Inattentional Blindness

Failure to notice stimuli not being attended to as if they weren't there.

Myopia

Nearsightedness; condition where distant objects appear blurry.

Hyperopia

Farsightedness; condition where close objects appear blurry.

Fovea

Central portion of the retina responsible for visual acuity and detail.

Trichromatic Theory

Color vision theory stating color perception is based on three primary colors.

Opponent Process Theory

Theory stating we perceive colors in terms of three pairs of opponent colors.

Depth Perception

Ability to judge distance and spatial relations.

Binocular Depth Cues

Depth cues that involve both eyes and include binocular disparity and convergence.

Habituation

Process of responding less strongly over time to repeated stimuli.

Sensitization

Process of responding more strongly over time to repeated stimuli.

Classical Conditioning

Learning process where two stimuli are repeatedly paired to elicit a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

Change in voluntary behaviors as a result of the consequences.

Reinforcement

Stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Positive Reinforcement

Addition of a pleasant stimulus that strengthens a behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Removal of an unpleasant stimulus that strengthens a behavior.

Positive Punishment

Addition of an unpleasant stimulus that reduces the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Negative Punishment

Removal of a pleasant stimulus that reduces the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Working Memory

System that temporarily holds and manipulates information.

Explicit Memory

Memories that can be consciously recalled, also known as declarative memory.

Implicit Memory

Memories that cannot be consciously recalled.

Schemas

Organized knowledge structures that aid in understanding and remembering.

Misinformation Effect

Creation of false memories due to misleading information provided after the event.

Cognitive Biases

Systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment.

System 1 Thinking

Fast, intuitive, and emotional thinking process.

System 2 Thinking

Slow, deliberative, and logical thinking process.

Growth Mindset

The belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.

Fixed Mindset

The belief that abilities are static and cannot be changed.