Sensation / Perception

sensation

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

sensory receptors

sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli

Perception

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

selective attention

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

cocktail party effect

ability to attend to only one voice among many

inattentional blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

change blindness

failing to notice changes in the environment

Transduction

In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret.

Psychophysics

the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them

absolute threshold

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

subliminal

below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness

signal detection theory

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.

difference threshold

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time

Weber's Law

for an average person to perceive a difference, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage

sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation