Module 2: Sensation and Perception

Chapter 3: Sensation and Perception

Sensation

process that occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated, allowing stimuli to become neural signals in the brain

Transduction

process of converting outside stimuli, such as light, into neural activity

Synesthesia

condition in which stimulation of one sense also evokes another

Just Noticeable Difference

the smallest difference between two stimuli that is detectable 50 percent of the time

Absolute threshold

lowest level of stimulation that a person can consciously detect 50 percent of the time the stimulation is present

Subliminal Stimuli

stimuli below the level of conscious awareness

Signal Detection Theory

used to compare judgments or decisions we make under uncertain conditions

Sensation

the process of detecting, receiving, converting, transmitting information resulting from stimulation of sensory receptors

Perception

process of interpreting the sensations we experience so that we can act upon them

propagnosia

face blindness

Grapheme-color synesthesia

letters of the alphabet and numbers are shaded with a color

Chromesthesia

association of sounds with colors

Hue

visual experience specified by color names and related to wavelength of the light

Brightness

visual experience related to the amount of light emitted from or reflected by an object; presence or absence of black

Saturation

visual experience related to the complexity of light waves; presence or absence of gray

Depth Perception

ability to see three dimensional space and to accurately judge distances

Binocular cues

cues that require the use of both eyes

Convergence

rotation of the two eyes in their sockets to focus on a single objects

Monocular cues

cues for perceiving depth based on one eye only

Linear perspective

tendency for parallel lines to appear to converge on each other

Relative Size

occurs when objects that a persons expects to be of certain size appear small and farther away

Loudness

dimension of auditory experience related to the intensity of a pressure wave

Pitch

dimension of auditory experience related to the frequency of a pressure wave

Timbre

related to complexity of a pressure wave

Auditory Localization

sounds from different directions are not identical as they arrive at left and right ears

Gustation

different people have different taste preferences based on genetics, culture, learning, food attractiveness

Sensory Adaptation

repeated or constant stimulation decreases the number of sensory messages sent to the brain which causes decreased sensation

Habituation

tendency of the brain to stop attending to constant, unchanging information (to ignore)

Sensory Reduction

process in which we filter and analyze sensory information before they are sent to the cortex for interpretation

Threshold

refers to a point above which a stimulus is perceived and below which it is not perceived 

Top-down Perception

perception that consists of categorizing sensory input wherein expectations, motives, experiences are at play

Bottom-up Perception

consists of recognizing and processing information about the individual components of the stimuli

Closure Rule

we tend to fill in any missing part or incomplete figures and see them as complete