AP PSYCH UNIT 3

Sensation

process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus

Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information

Sensory Receptors

a nerve ending that sends signals to the central nervous system when stimulated

Top-down processing

guided by experience and higher-level process, we see what we expect to see

Bottom-up Processing

Starting with the sensory input, the brain attempts to understand/make sense

Selective attention

Our tendency to focus on just a particular stimulus among the many that are being received

inattentional blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

change blindness

failing to notice changes in the environment

Transduction

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

absoulte threshold

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

difference threshold

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

signal detection theory

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise).

Subliminal sensation/perception

below level of conscious awareness, absolute threshold, but which can influence you in some way

Webers Law

To be able to tell the difference between degrees of stimulation, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum %

sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a result of constant stimulation. Why we may forget we are wearing glasses on out face.

cocktail party effect

Ability to concentrate on one voice amongst a crowd

perceptual set

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

How do context and culture affect our perception?

our learned concepts (schemas) affect how we interpret stimuli

ESP

extrasensory perception

parapsychology

the study of paranormal phenomena

clairvoyance

perceiving remote events

precognition

perceiving future events

Wavelength

the distance between successive peaks in a wave motion of a given frequency

hue

the subjective quality of color, decided by wave length & amplitude

Intensity

the quantitative value of a stimulus or sensation

Cornea

The clear tissue that covers the front of the eye, light enters the eye first

pupil

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

Iris

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening

lens

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

Retina

the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information

optic nerve

the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

blind spot (optic disc)

where the optic nerve leaves the eye; there are no photoreceptor cells here

Fovea

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster

rods and cones

in the retina, receives images that have passed through the lens of the eye (photoreceptors)

Accommodation in sight

the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory

the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors—one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue—which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color.

Hering's opponent-process theory

the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green

feature detectors

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement. Why we can tell the different between a table, shirt, and a nose.

parallel processing

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing.

Gesalt

processing a cluster of sensations as a whole

figure-ground

the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground).

what are different ways we group things perceptually?

proximity, continuity, closure, similarity

binocular cues

depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

monocular cues

depth cues available to either eye alone

depth perception

the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance

visual cliff

a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

retinal disparity

a binocular cue for perceiving depth

phi phenomenon

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

stroboscopic movement

a type of apparent movement based on the rapid succession of still images, as in motion pictures

perceptual constancy

perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change

color constancy

perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object

perceptual adaptation

in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

Frequency

The number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time

pitch

a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency

middle ear

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window

cochlea

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses

inner ear

the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs

sensorineural hearing loss

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness

conduction hearing loss

hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

place theory

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated

frequency theory

in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

biological affect on pain

nociceptors. Detects hurtful temperatures, pressures, and chemicals

psychological affect on pain

pain is affected by the attention we give to it

social-cultural affect on pain

we feel more pain when we see others experiencing it

What are the five tastes?

sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami

vestibular system

the three fluid-filled semicircular canals and adjacent organs located next to the cochlea in each inner ear. Monitors movement.

sensory interaction

the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste

a chef is most likely to use what two senses?

Smell and Taste

Grouping letters into words shows what gestalt principle

proximity

we are more likely to remember an injury depending on what

severity of the pain

most color blind people can't distinguish what two colors?

red and green

when watching a basketball game we can organize who is on what team because of what gestalt principle?

similarity

The intensity , brightness, and color of a shirt is related to the amplitude of what?

Light Waves

Disruption to vestibular system can cause what?

Dizziness and loss of balance

what part of your brain receives messages from hair like receptors involved in the vestibular system?

Cerebellum

what important ability of depth perception allows for a referee to decide if an extra point is good or not?

Interposition