Perception Exam 1 Study Guide

What is the main difference between sensation and perception?

-Sensation is the conversion of physical parameters through specialized neurons (external, bottom-up)

-Perception is the internal interpretation of the sensory information (internal, top-down).

What are the five senses?

Taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing

Name 3 more senses beyond the basic 5 senses

-Proprioception

-Nociception

-Thermoception

What is proprioception?

Bodily awareness based on tendon and ligament tension

What is nociception?

The sensation of pain due to tissue damage

What is thermoception?

The sensation of temperature

Describe the chain of command for a perception from object to brain

A physical phenomenon → converted by a bio-chemical mechanism → converted into a neural signal.

What is an example of the chain of command for perception?

Sound pressure gets converted into cochlear cells which ends with turning into a neural signal.

What is Weber-Fetchner’s Law?

Weber-Fetchner’s Law, the just noticeable difference, is the limit to which one can detect an increase in something.

How does Weber-Fetchner’s Law apply to perception?

It is the absolute threshold to which a stimulus can be perceived

What is the process called when a sensory neuron converts a physical phenomenon to a neuro-chemical signal?

Neural transduction

Which part of the brain deals with sensory integration?

The parietal lobe

What part of the brain deals with basic functions such as breathing and heart rate?

The brain stem

What are the 4 lobes of the brain?

-The frontal lobe

-The occipital lobe

-The temporal lobe

-The parietal lobe

What is the frontal lobe responsible for?

Reasoning

What is the occipital lobe responsible for?

Vision

What is the temporal lobe responsible for?

Auditory and Memory

What is the parietal lobe responsible for?

Bodily sensations

What is meant by the term cerebral cortex?

-The cerebrum is the outlet layer of the brain and the cortex is latin for surface.

-The combination of the two words becomes the cerebral cortex which is just the surface of the brain. 

Where is the cerebellum located?

Behind the brain stem (considered the little brain)

What does the cerebellum do?

It controls balance and movement

What is synthesia?

-Synesthesia is the crossing and combination of sensory perceptions.

-For instance, a person may hear someone’s name and see a specific color.

How does brain damage key us into what functions occur in the brain?

-Due to brain localization

-Specific functions of the brain can be found in specific areas; brain damage and its side effects can show this.

-For example, damage to the Wernicke’s area causes a person to speak nonsensical phrases. This indicates that this area is responsible for language control.

According to Christopher Peterson PhD., why can’t dogs dance?

Dogs can not dance due to the lack of connection and insufficient transfer of information between a dog’s motor cortex and auditory cortex.

What is the resting potential of neurons?

-70 mV

What is an action potential?

Action potential is when a neuron fires due to an influx of sodium and the expelling of potassium.

What voltage triggers action potential?

-45mV

What voltage is seen at the top of an action potential?

+30mV

What part of the neuron is responsible for collecting neuro-chemical information?

Dendrites

Which part of the neuron carries the action potential travel?

Axons

What are the 2 main methods for objective information on the brain?

-Electro-Encephalogram (EEG)

-Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

How does an EEG operate?

By placing receptors on the surface of the scalp. Brain waves are then recorded as electromagnetic changes occur

How does an fMRI operate?

It records blood flow changes in the brain through the magnetization of iron to see the movement.

Absolute threshold

Minimal perceptible amount for stimulus to be registered by the nervous system (limits to perceiving sound or light)

Distance threshold

Smallest discernable changer between two stimuli (sound or color)

Corpus Callosum

The large bundle of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain, allowing for communication between them.

Gray Matter

The outer cortical layer of the brain made up of neuronal cell bodies

White Matter

Connecting axons and connecting fibers of neurons that extend throughout the brain