cognitive processes - sensation & perception

Sensation

Perception

The physical process by which our sensory organs respond to external stimuli 

Psychological process of making sense of a stimulus 

how does perception aid memory

sensory memories

using past memories to idenitfy information

How does our brain interpret physical energy

Must be converted into electrical stimulation - transduction

Absolute threshold

How is it measured

the required minimal amount of stimulation in order to detect stimuli

Signal detection

Method of limits

a series of tests starting silent and getting louder to detect when a person picks up the stimulus 

differential threshold

 the ability to detect the difference between two stimuli of different intensity 

bottom-up processing

top-down processing

building perception from individual pieces of an experience

basing perception on the whole picture, often aided by memories

Describe the process of our brains processing objects

light bounces off the object and enters through our pupil (contracts or dilates), and then goes through the cornea.

The light spreads across the retina and is transduced by photoreceptors.

The electric signal is sent through the thalamus and then to the primary visual cortex (PVC), where the info is sent to various places for processing.

photoreceptors

what are the 2 kinds and what do they do?

Specialized cells in the retina that transduce light

Rods - able to see in dim light (periphery)

Cones - able to see color and detail in bright light (fovea - central region)

Primary visual cortex (PVC)

where information about light orientation and movement comes together to form an image

ventral pathway

dorsal pathway

specialized regions for visual recognition (what?)

other areas involved in processing (where?)

trichromatic theory

some cones in our eyes prefer to respond to red, green, & blue

opponent-process theory

states that cones send information to retinal ganglion cells (respond to pairs of colors) that take info from cones and compute differences between two colors

amplitude

pitch

Quality

the intensity of a sound wave - loudness of a stimulus

The frequency of a sound wave - high pitch or low pitch

the complexity of a sound wave - bright or dull sounds

whats the process of sound reaching the brain

Sound waves are funneled by the pinna into the eardrum that vibrates against the malleus (hammer), the incus (anvil), and the stapes (stirrup). This amplifies sound waves to enter the cochlea, where we convert the sound into an electrical message.

pinna

tympanic membrane/eardrum

the ossicles

cochlea

the external part of your ear

the thin membrane that vibrates with a sound wave

the area with the malleus, incus, and stapes

small bone structure with hair cells arranged that convert sound waves to electrical communication

Somatosensation

The ability for our skin to get so much info

mechanoreceptors

receptors that transduce tactile stimuli into electrical signals

nociception

aka pain