AP Psych Unit 10

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41 Terms

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Absolute Threshold
Absolute smallest amount of stimulation needed to first detect a sensory stimulus 50% of the time
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Difference Threshold
Smallest amount needed to detect a difference/change in stimulation strength as determined by Weber’s Law
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Weber’s Law
States the difference threshold is detected based on percentage changes - not by a constant amount
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Sensory Adaptation
Weakened sensation after being constantly exposed to a stimulation
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Signal Detection Theory
The detection of a sensory stimulus also involves our motivation to detect it
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Transduction
Process of converting sensory stimulation into neural signals that our brain can interpret
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Wave-Based Senses
Hearing + Vision
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Chemical-Based Senses
Olfaction + Taste
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Vision
Amplitude=Brightness

Frequency=Color/Hue
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Hearing
Amplitude=Volume

Frequency=Pitch
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Cornea
Protective outer layer of the eye - bend helps focus light onto retina
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Pupil
Adjustable opening where light enters
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Iris
Colored part of the eye - controls size of pupil by responding to light intensity
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Lens
Behind the pupil - changes curvature to focus light on retina - called accommodation
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Retina
Inner surface of eye containing photoreceptors (rods + cones)
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Rods
Photoreceptors in the periphery of eyes (outer region)

Peripheral vision and dark adaptation

Detects black, white, and grey
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Cones
Photoreceptors in the center of retina (fovea)

“Normally” lit conditions

Detects color in detail
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Fovea (Foveal Vision)
Cluster of cones in the center of the retina

* Straight ahead vision
* Most acuity (sharpness, accuracy)
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Optic Nerve
Once photoreceptors are stimulated, nearby bipolar cells then ganglion cells send action potentials to the brain via optic nerve

Causes a blind spot in our vision where ganglion cells leave the eye
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Feature Detectors
Ganglion cells send information to specialized feature detector neurons in the visual cortex of the occipital lobe

Enables detections of stimuli like movement, edges, and faces
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Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Color Theory
States there are three types of cones that produce any color when stimulates in different combinations (red, green, blue)
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Color Deficient Vision
“Color blindness” is due to a lack of functioning between two cones (red/green is most common)
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Opponent Process Theory
States our photoreceptor cells (cones) come in color pairs like red/green, yellow/blue, black/white
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Negative Afterimage Effect
Illusion after one color is stimulated - those cones will rest and the other color is “seen” after looking away
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Process of Auditory Transduction

1. Sound waves enter the auditory canal
2. Hit the tympanic membrane (ear drum) which activates the middles ear (ossicles)
3. Middle ear (ossicles) transfers information to the oval window attached to the inner ear
4. Stimulates hair cells on basilar membrane of the cochlea
5. Cochlea sends action potentials to the temporal lobe
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Outer Ear
Auditory canal and tympanic membrane (ear drum)

Function: Steps 1 + 2 of auditory transduction
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Middle Ear (Ossicles)
Oval window and three bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup)

Function: Steps 2 + 3 of auditory transduction
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Inner Ear
Cochlea + auditory nerve

Function: Steps 3 + 4 of auditory transduction

Additional function: Semicircular canals (vestibular sacs) help maintain balance)
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Sound Localization
As a result of having two ears - process of determining the location of a sound by judging which ear was stimulated by sound waves first
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Place Theory
Pitch depends on the place where the cochleas basilar membrane has been stimulated
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Frequency Theory
Pitch depends on how many times the cochlea (frequency) sends a message to the brain
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Conductive Hearing Loss
Damage to the middle ear or outer ear
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Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Damage to the inner ear (cochlea or auditory nerve)
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Smell/Olfaction
When 350+ molecules in the air reach olfactory receptor cells at the top of our nasal cavity to create 10,000+ odors - processed by the olfactory bulb

(females are superior)
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Kinesthetic Sense
Sense for position and movement of individual body parts
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Touch
Largest sense organ - mixture of pressure, warmth, cold and pain receptors (More sensitive regions are lips, palms)
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Gate Control Theory
Pain theory - spinal cord is able to “block” signals of pain to the brain (massages)
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Vestibular Sense
Sense related to our body orientation (balance, equilibrium)
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Taste/Gustation
Involves several sensations (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, unmani)

Innate dislike of bitterness to protect from poisons

Sweet signals energy rich food

Receptors: Bumps on your tongue contains 300+ taste buds
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Synesthesia
Neurological condition in which sensory input from one pathway (ex. vision) leads to the experience of another sense (ex. taste)
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