Unit 3 AP Psych Review

Sensation

Process of sensory receptors gathering information from the environment using the five senses

Bottom-Up Processing

Analysis based on sensory input

Top-Down Processing

Analysis based on past experiences and memories

Absolute Threshold

Minimum stimulus to detect something half the time

Subliminal Threshold

Stimulus just below the absolute threshold

Difference Threshold

Smallest difference needed to distinguish two stimuli

Ernst Weber

Psychologist who formulated Weber’s Law

Weber’s Law

Constant percentage change needed to differentiate between stimuli

Signal Detection Theory

Expectations influence stimulus detection

Sensory Adaptation

Getting accustomed to a stimulus over time

Selective Attention

Focusing on a single stimulus

Cocktail Party Effect

Ability to focus on a specific stimulus in a crowded environment

Inattentional Blindness

Failing to notice something due to focus on another stimulus

Change Blindness

Not perceiving changes due to focus on a stimulus

Cornea

Eye's outer covering

Iris

Regulates light entering the eye

Pupil

Opening in the eye allowing light passage

Lens

Focuses images on the retina

Retina

Contains visual sensory cells and rods

Fovea

Area of sharpest vision with cones

Optic Nerve

Transmits visual information to the brain

Blind Spot

Area lacking visual receptors

Cones

Enable daytime vision and color perception

Rods

Facilitate night vision and black & white perception

Bipolar Cells

Connect rods and cones to ganglion cells

Ganglion Cells

Form the optic nerve

Parallel Processing

Ability to process multiple stimuli simultaneously

Feature Detectors

Nerve cells specialized in detecting shapes

Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory

Retina perceives red, blue, and green colors

Opponent Process Theory

Processing primary colors in opposing pairs

Pinna

Outer ear's skin directing sound into the ear canal

Auditory Canal

Tube connecting outer and middle ear for sound transmission

Eardrum

Membrane vibrating due to soundwaves

Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup

Bones transmitting sound vibrations to the Cochlea

Semicircular Canals

Crucial for balance in the inner ear

Basilar Membrane

Contains hairs for hearing in the Cochlea

Cochlea

Snail-shaped structure housing hearing receptors

Auditory Nerve

Transmits sound information to the brain

Frequency

Sound pitch determined by wavelength

Intensity

Sound loudness determined by energy

Frequency Theory

Basilar Membrane vibrates to match sound frequency

Place Theory

Different ear locations activated by sound

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Hearing damage from prolonged noise exposure

Conduction Deafness

Hearing loss from ear bone damage

Sensorineural Deafness

Hearing loss due to auditory nerve damage

Gustation

Sense of taste

Olfaction

Sense of smell

Sensory Interaction

Senses working together

Nociceptors

Pain receptors

Gate Control Theory

Spinal cord's role in pain perception

Phantom Limb Pain

Pain felt in amputated limb location

Vestibular Sense

Maintains balance by tracking head position

Kinesthesis

Sense of body movement

Gestalt Principle

Perceiving objects as a whole

Perception

Interpreting stimuli around us

Monocular Cues

Visual depth cues with one eye

Interposition

Objects blocking others appear closer

Linear Perspective

Closer lines indicate distance

Relative Size

Far objects seem smaller

Texture Gradient

Less texture on farther objects

Motion Parallax

Far objects move slower

Binocular Cues

Depth cues using both eyes

Retinal Disparity

Depth perception from different viewing angles

Figure-ground

Perceiving one image at a time

Closure

Mentally filling in gaps in an image

Proximity

Grouping items close together

Similarity

Connecting similar items

Connectedness

Grouping connected items

Continuity

Seeing connected rather than separate items

Stroboscopic Movement

Rapid images creating motion

Phi Phenomenon

Flashing lights perceived as motion

Perceptual Set

Past experiences influencing perception

Schema

Concept aiding in stimulus perception