Sensory Perception

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms from a lecture on sensory perception, signal detection theory, brain structures, and related concepts.

Retinal Disparity

Eyes are approx. 2.5 inches apart which gives us a slightly different view of objects in the world.

Convergence

Eyes contract to look at things that are close to us, and eyes relax when we look at things far away.

Relative Height

Objects higher are perceived to be farther away.

Constancy

Our perception of object doesn’t change even if it looks different on the retina.

Touch Sensory Adaptation

Temperature receptors desensitize over time.

Absolute threshold of sensation

The minimum intensity of stimulus needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

Subliminal stimuli

Stimuli below the absolute threshold.

Otolithic organs (utricle and saccule)

Helps us to detect linear acceleration and head positioning.

Signal Detection Theory

Looks at how we make decisions under conditions of uncertainty – discerning between important stimuli and unimportant "noise"

Bottom-Up Processing

Stimulus influences our perception; Processing sensory information as it is coming in (built from smallest piece of sensory information)

Top-Down Processing

Background knowledge influences perception; Driven by cognition (brain applies what it knows and what it expects to perceive and fill in blanks)

Similarity

Items similar to one another are grouped together.

Pragnanz

Reality is often organized or reduced to simplest form possible

Proximity

Objects that are close are grouped together.

Continuity

Lines are seen as following the smoothest path.

Closure

Objects grouped together are seen as a whole.

Cornea

Transparent thick sheet of tissue, anterior 1/6th of the eye.

Anterior chamber

Area of the eye filled with aqueous humour, which provides pressure to maintain shape of eyeball.

Lens

Bends the light so it goes to back of eyeball.

Posterior chamber

Area of the eye Is area behind the ciliary muscle, also filled with aqueous humor.

Vitreous chamber

Area of the eye filled with vitreous humour, jelly-like substance to provide pressure to eyeball.

Macula

Special part of retina rich in cones.

Choroid

Pigmented black in humans, a network of blood vessels. Because it is black, all light is reflected.

Sclera

Whites of the eye, thick fibrous tissue that covers posterior 5/6th of eyeball. Attachment point for muscles.

Phototransduction Cascade

Normally rod is turned on, but when light hits it turns off, and this begins a cascade of events.

Blind spot

Located where optic nerve connects to retina; no cones or rods.

parvocellular pathway

Good at spatial resolution, but poor temporal resolution.

magnocellular pathway

Has high temporal resolution and poor spatial resolution, no color.

Parallel processing

Simultaneous processing of incoming stimuli that differs in quality

Pinna

Outer part of ear.

External auditory meatus

Auditory canal.

Tympanic membrane

Eardrum.

Organ of Corti

Includes the basilar membrane and the tectorial membrane).

Cochlear Implants

Receiver receives info from a transmitter. Transmitter gets electrical info from the speech processor. Speech processor gets info from microphone.

Cochlear Implants

Surgical procedure that attempts to restore some degree of hearing to individuals with sensory narrow hearing loss – aka nerve deafness

Adaptation

Change over time of receptor to a constant stimulus – downregulation; As you push down with hand, receptors experience constant pressure. But after few seconds receptors no longer fire.

Amplification

Upregulation; Light hits photoreceptor in eye and can cause cell to fire. When cell fires AP, can be connected to 2 cells which also fire AP, and so on.

Somatosensory Homunculus

Topological map of body in the cortex

Kinaesthesia

Talking about movement of the body; Proprioception was cognitive awareness of body in space and does include the sense of balance.

Proprioception

Cognitive awareness of body in space and does include the sense of balance.

A-beta fibres

Fast, myelinated fibres.

A-delta fibres

Smaller in diameter, less myelin fibres.

C fibres

Thin, unmyelinated

Olfactory epithelium

Area in nostril.

Cribriform plate

Separates the olfactory epithelium from the brain.

Olfactory bulb

Bundle of nerves that sends little projections through cribriform plate into the olfactory epithelium, which branch off.

Glomerulus

All cells sensitive to benzene will fire to one olfactory bulb.

Mitral/tufted cells

Project from glomerulus to the brain.

vomeronasal system.

Organ with basal cells and apical cells within the accessory olfactory epithelium

Umami

Ability to taste glutamate.

GPCR

Sweet, umami, and bitter cells rely on receptors.

ion

Sour and salty rely on _channels.

taste buds

Receptor cells that can detect each taste are located here.

Each receptor has an axon, which all remain separate to the brain. And all synapse on dif parts of the gustatory cortex

The labelled lines model describes that .

Consciousness

Awareness of our self and environment

Beta brainwaves

Associated with awake/concentration. Increased stress, anxiety, restlessness. Constant alertness.

Alpha waves

In daydreaming. Disappear in drowsiness but reappear in deep sleep. During relaxation.

Theta waves

Drowsiness, right after you fall asleep.

Delta waves

Deep sleep or coma.

N1 (Stage 1) sleep

Strange sensations – hypnagonic hallucinations, hearing or seeing things that aren’t there; seeing flash of light, or someone calling your name, doorbell, etc. Or the Tetris effect – if you play Tetris right before bed, you might see blocks. Also a feeling of falling – hypnic jerks. Theta waves.

N2 (Stage 2) sleep

Deeper stage of sleep; People in N2 are harder to awaken. We see more theta waves, as well as sleep spindles and K-complexes; Sleep spindles help inhibit certain perceptions so we maintain a tranquil state during sleep. Sleep spindles in some parts of brain associated with ability to sleep through loud noises; K-complexes supress cortical arousal and keep you asleep. Also help sleep-based memory consolidation. Even though they occur naturally, you can also make them occur by touching someone sleeping.

N3 (Stage 3) sleep

Slow wave sleep. Characterized by delta waves. Where walking/talking in sleep happens.

REM

Combination of alpha, beta, and desynchronous waves, similar to beta waves seen when awake and Most dreaming occurs during this sleep.

Circadian Rhythms

Our regular body rhythms across 24-hour period

Sigmund Freud's theory of dreams

Dreams are our unconscious thoughts and desires that need to be interpreted.

Activation Synthesis Hypothesis

Brain gets a lot of neural impulses in the brainstem, which is sometimes interpreted by the frontal cortex.

insomnia

Persistent trouble falling asleep or staying asleep)

narcolepsy

Can’t help themselves from falling asleep

Breathing-Related Sleep Disorders

Brain, airways, or lungs/chest wall sleep problems.

Cheyne-Stokes breathing

Period of oscillations, then flat, etc.) pattern in polysomnography.

Hypnotism

Getting person to relax and focus on breathing, and they become more susceptible to suggestion in this state

Dissociation Theory of hypnotism

Hypnotism is an extreme form of divided consciousness

Social Influence Theory of hypnotism

People do and report what’s expected of them, like actors caught up in their roles

Meditation

Training people to self-regulate their attention and awareness

Depressants

Drugs that lower your body’s basic functions and neural activity, ex. Heart rate, reaction time, etc

Barbiturates

Used to induce sleep or reduce anxiety. Depress your CNS. Side effects are reduced memory, judgement and concentration, with alcohol can lead to death (most drugs w/ alcohol are bad)

Benzodiazepines

Most commonly prescribed suppressant. Sleep aids or anti-anxiety; Enhance your brain’s response to GABA

Opiates

Used to treat pain and anxiety. Ex. Heroine and morphine. NOT a depressant; Used to treat pain because they act at body’s receptor sites for endorphins; Different class than depressants, even though overlapping for anxiety, rest act on GABA receptors while opiates act on endorphin Rs; Lead to euphoria, why taken recreationally

Stimulants

Stimulate or intensity neural activity/bodily functions.

Hallucinogens

Cause hallucinations or altered perception.

Ecstasy

Synthetic drug both a stimulant and hallucinogen; Increases dopamine and serotonin and euphoria. Also stimulates the body’s NS. Can damage neurons that produce serotonin, which has several functions including moderating mood; Causes hallucinations and heightened sensations, ex. artificial feeling of social connectedness.

LSD

Interferes with serotonin, which causes people to experience hallucinations.

Marijuana

Main active chemical is THC, which heightens sensitivity to sounds, tastes, smells; Like alcohol, reduces inhibition, impairs motor and coordination skills; Disrupt memory formation and short-term recall; Stays in body up to a week; Used as medicine to relieve pain and nausea

Homeostasis

How you maintain temperature, heartbeat, metabolism etc.

Incentive

Reward, intangible or tangible is presented after an action. Associating positive meaning to a behavior.

Personality Disorders

Related to long-term mental and behavioural features characteristic of a person, huge spectrum of personality types considered acceptable. Personality disorders involve ones outside those accepted of societal norms.

Theory of planned behavior

We consider the implications of our intentions before we behave.

Attitude to behavior process model

An event triggers our attitude (something that will influence our perception of an object); Then attitude + outside knowledge together determines behavior.

Honesty

Involves reducing our social influences (ex. secret ballot), and when general patterns of behavior are observed versus a single one (principle of aggregation), when specific actions are considered, and when attitudes are made more powerful through self-reflection.

Foot in the door phenomenon

Says we have a tendency to agree to small actions first. Eventually over time comply with much larger actions; Basic concept of how people are brainwashed too

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

2 or more conflicting cognitions – ideas, beliefs, values, or emotional reactions. Feelings of discomfort can lead to alterations in our beliefs/behaviours.

Situational approach of behavior

Emphasizes influence of changing environmental circumstances over stable personality traits.

Attribution

Process of inferring causes of events/behaviours

Sigmund Freud

Said Early childhood was the most important age/period it developed and Proposed the psychosexual theory of development.

libido

Natural energy source that fuels the mechanisms of the mind

id, ego, & superego

Freud's 3 parts of the iceberg relating

Carl Rogers (Humanistic Theory)

Maslow's qualities are nurtured early in life, self-actualization is a constant growth process nurtured in a growth-promoting process

self-concept

Achieved when we bring genuineness and acceptance together to achieve growth-promoting climate.

Biological theories of personality

The biologic theory suggests important components of personality are inherited, or determined in part by our genes.

Behaviourist Theory

Says personality is the result of learned behavior patterns based on a person’s environment – it’s deterministic, in that people begin as blank states and the environment completely determines their behavior/personalities