AP Psych Unit 1C Vocab

absolute threshold

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

accommodation / visual accommodation

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

amplitude

the height of a wave, which measures the amount of energy or intensity carried by a stimulus like sound or light

audition

the sense or act of hearing

auditory cortex

in the temporal lobes; receives information from the ears and processes sound

blind spot

the point where the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a blind spot because no receptor cells are located there

blindsight

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

bottom-up processing

information processing that begins with sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information

cochlea

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

cochlear implant

a device that converts sounds into electrical signals and stimulates the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea

conduction hearing loss

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

cones

retinal receptors concentrated near the center of the retina that function in daylight or well-lit conditions, detect fine detail, and enable color vision

cornea

the eye's clear, protective outer layer covering the iris and pupil

dichromatism

a type of color blindness in which a person has only two types of functioning cone cells instead of the normal three

difference threshold / just noticeable difference (JND)

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

embodied cognition

the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other physical states on cognitive preferences and judgments

farsightedness (hyperopia)

a vision condition in which distant objects appear clear but close objects appear blurry because light focuses behind the retina

feature detectors

nerve cells in the brain's visual cortex that respond to specific features of a stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement

fovea

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

frequency

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given amount of time

frequency theory

a theory of pitch perception stating that the rate at which auditory neurons fire matches the frequency of a sound wave

ganglion cells

specialized neurons in the retina that receive visual signals from bipolar cells and send that information to the brain

gate-control theory

the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to reach the brain; small nerve fibers open the gate, while large nerve fibers and brain signals can close it

gustation

our sense of taste

hue

the dimension of color determined by the wavelength of light; the color we identify as blue, green, and so forth

inner ear

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

intensity

the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, influencing perceived brightness or loudness; determined by the wave's amplitude

iris

a ring of muscle tissue forming the colored part of the eye around the pupil that controls the size of the pupil opening

kinesthesis

our movement sense; the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

lens

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

middle ear

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea, containing three tiny bones that concentrate eardrum vibrations on the cochlea's oval window

monochromatism

a rare form of color blindness in which a person has one or no functioning cone photoreceptors, resulting in vision primarily in black, white, and shades of gray

nearsightedness (myopia)

a vision condition in which nearby objects appear clear but distant objects appear blurry because the image focuses in front of the retina

oleogustus

the taste sensation associated with fat

olfaction

our sense of smell

opponent-process theory

the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision; some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red, while others respond oppositely

optic nerve

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

parallel processing

processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously

perception

the process by which the brain organizes and interprets sensory information, allowing us to recognize objects and events as meaningful

pheromones

chemical substances released by an organism that send messages to another member of the same species

pitch

a tone's perceived highness or lowness, which depends on frequency

place theory

the idea that the pitch we hear depends on where hair cells are stimulated along the basilar membrane in the cochlea

priming

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations that predisposes a person's perception, memory, or response

psychophysics

the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experiences of them

pupil

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

retina

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

rods

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray and are sensitive to movement; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision

semicircular canals

fluid-filled canals in the inner ear that help detect rotational movement and maintain balance

sensation

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

sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

sensory interaction

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

sensory receptors

sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli

signal detection theory

a theory predicting how and when we detect a faint stimulus amid background stimulation; detection depends partly on experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness, rather than on a single absolute threshold