Ch4 Gateways to Sensation, Attention, and Perception

A set of vocabulary flashcards aimed at helping students understand key terms and concepts related to sensation, attention, and perception.

Sensation

The process by which information from the world is gathered by the sensory organs and sent to the brain.

Transduction

The process of converting one form of energy into another.

Absolute threshold

The minimum amount of sensory input that must be present for physical energy to be detected 50 percent of the time.

Difference threshold

The minimum difference that must exist between two stimuli for that difference to be detected 50 percent of the time.

Sensory adaptation

The decreased sensitivity to a stimulus after prolonged exposure.

Hue

The aspect of color that is associated with the frequency or wavelength of light waves.

Accommodation (in the eye)

The eye's ability to focus, carried out by the lens.

Myopia

A visual defect also known as nearsightedness, where distant objects appear blurry.

Color blindness

An inability to perceive color caused by deficiencies in the cones of the retina.

Trichromatic theory

A theory of color vision stating that three types of cones (red, blue, green) are responsible for color perception.

Frequency theory (of hearing)

The theory that pitch is related to the frequency of action potentials.

Conductive hearing loss

Hearing loss caused by problems with the mechanical system that conducts sound to the cochlea.

Olfaction

The chemical sense of smell.

Somesthetic senses

Senses related to touch, balance, and body position.

Mind-wandering

A state of attention where a person's thoughts drift away from the external environment.

Bottom-up processing

Perception based on the building up of sensory input to form a complete picture.

Top-down processing

Perception influenced by preexisting knowledge and expectations.

Perceptual constancies

Rules developed by the brain to interpret sensory information as stable despite changes in sensory input.

Monocular depth cues

Depth cues that require only one eye to perceive, such as accommodation and linear perspective.

Verbal communication

The use of words to convey information, through spoken or written methods.

Nonverbal communication

Communication that involves body language, tone of voice, and other nonverbal cues.