Psych 101 - exam 2

Sensation

process by which our sensory receptors detect physical energy (stimulus) from the environment and convert it into neuro signals. Takes place at the level of the sensory receptor.

Perception

process by which our brains organize and interpret our sensations, enabling us to recognize objects and events as meaningful.

sensory receptor

we don’t sense all the energy in the environment

absolute threshold

Minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus and we don’t detect all stimuli all of the time. To function effectively, we need stimuli above threshold

signal detection theory

Our psychological states affect how sensitive we are to external stimuli. It predicts how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation.

Difference threshold (just noticeable difference)

Minimal change in a stimulus that can barely be detected and two stimuli must differ by a constant proportion rather than amount

sensory adaption

if a stimulus does not change and is not relevant to it, we stop paying attention.

Transduction

the transformation of stimulus energy (sights, sounds,smells) into neural impulses.

neuroplasticity

the brain's capacity to continue growing and evolving in response to life experiences

Consciousness

how we know we exist, quality of mind, an aspect of mind

selective inattention

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

change blindness

failure to notice change in enviroment

Associative learning

when an organism makes connections between stimuli or events that occur together

Classical conditioning

two stimuli are paired (unvoluntary)

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

are inherently meaningful to the animal and response they produce doesn’t need to be learned

neutral stimuli

don’t have a significant value for the animal and produce any meaningful

Acquisition

associated between NS and UCS and need to be close together in time

Extinction

when the CS is not followed by UCS, CR begins to decrease and cause extinction

Spontaneous recovery

After rest period, an extinguished CR spontaneously recovers, but if CS persists alone, CR becomes extinct again

Stimulus generalization

respond to stimuli similar to the CS is called generalization

discrimination

learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditional stimulus

Pavlov’s Legacy

Classical conditioning is one way all species learn to adapt to their environment, learning can be studied objectively, and it provides a
scientific model for psychological science.