Untitled Flashcards Set

Behaviorism

The study of behavior.

Confounds

Factors that undermine the ability to draw causal inferences from an experiment.

Consciousness

Awareness of ourselves and our environment.

Correlation

Measures the association between two variables; how they go together.

Dependent variable

The variable the researcher measures but does not manipulate in an experiment.

Independent variable

The variable a researcher manipulates and controls in an experiment.

Empiricism

The belief that knowledge comes from experience.

Experimenter expectations

When the experimenter's expectations influence the outcome of a study.

Introspection

A method of focusing on internal processes.

Longitudinal study

A study that follows the same group of individuals over time.

Demand characteristics

Cues that lead participants to guess a study's hypotheses or goals; a threat to internal validity.

Reactivity

The phenomenon where individuals alter their behavior or performance due to the awareness of being observed or studied.

Placebo effect

Improvements in a condition due to belief in the effectiveness of a treatment that has no therapeutic effect.

Quasi-experimental design

Experiments where researchers lack full control and cannot randomly assign participants to different levels of the independent variable.

Random Assignment

Assigning participants to receive different conditions of an experiment by chance.

Binocular depth cues

Depth cues created by retinal image disparity, requiring coordination of both eyes.

Blind spot

A hole in vision where the optic nerve leaves the retina.

Computer vision

Machines or algorithms designed to mimic the human sensation and perception system.

Photoreceptors

Specialized cells in the retina responsible for detecting light and initiating the process of vision.

Rods

Photoreceptors in the retina responsible for low-light and peripheral vision.

Cones

Photoreceptors in the retina responsible for color vision and detail in well-lit conditions.

Spectral sensitivity function

The probability that a photoreceptor’s photopigment will absorb a photon of light at any given wavelength.

Photopic vision

Vision under well-lit conditions, primarily mediated by cones.

Scotopic vision

Vision under low-light conditions, primarily mediated by rods.

Convergence

The inward turning of our eyes required to focus on objects closer than about 50 feet.

Cornea

The clear covering that protects the eye and helps to focus light onto the retina.

Depth cues

Messages from our bodies and the external environment that supply information about space and distance.

Occlusion

A depth cue where one object partially obstructs the view of another.

Linear perspective

A monocular depth cue where parallel lines appear to converge as they recede into the distance.

Texture gradient

A monocular depth cue where the texture becomes denser and less detailed as it recedes into the distance.

Position relative to horizon

Monocular depth cue where objects higher in the visual field are perceived as farther away.

Depth perception

The ability to perceive three-dimensional space and judge distance.

Embodied

The environment that we sense and perceive becomes built into our cognition.

Fovea

The central point of the retina, responsible for high acuity vision.

Gestalt

The theory that the whole of perception is greater than the sum of its parts.

Human factors

The field of psychology that uses psychological knowledge to improve technology development.

Iris

The colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil.

Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)

A relay center in the thalamus processing visual information from the retina.

Lens

A transparent structure behind the iris that focuses light onto the retina.

McGurk effect

An error in perception due to mismatched audio and visual parts of speech.

Monocular depth cues

Depth cues perceived using only one eye.

Mueller-Lyer Illusion

An illusion in which one line segment looks longer based on converging or diverging angles.

Optic nerve

A collection of neurons that sends visual information to the brain.

Perception

The process of interpreting and organizing incoming information.

Perceptual constancy

The ability to perceive a stimulus as constant despite changes in perception.

Pupil

The adjustable opening in the iris that regulates light entering the eye.

Retina

The light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye that contains photoreceptor cells.

Saccades

The rapid shifting of the eyes from one fixation point to another.

Sensation

The process of receiving information from the environment through sensory organs.

Sensory adaptation

Decreased sensitivity to stimuli after prolonged exposure.

Sensory interaction

The principle that multiple sensory systems work together to process sensory information.

Synesthesia

A neurological condition where stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to involuntary experiences in another pathway.

Transduction

The conversion of light detected by receptor cells into electrical impulses.

Attention

The cognitive process of selectively focusing on specific stimuli.

Cognitive control

The ability to control how we deploy our cognitive resources.

Cognitive flexibility

Our ability to adapt cognition to new or changing environments.

Dichotic listening

An experimental task presenting two messages to different ears.

Inattentional blindness

The failure to notice unexpected stimuli when attention is focused elsewhere.

Inhibitory control

The suppression of goal-irrelevant stimuli.

Limited Capacity

The notion of finite mental resources that can be used at any given time.

Selective attention

The ability to focus on specific stimuli while ignoring distractions.

Early-selection theory

Theory stating attention acts as a selective filter early in information processing.

Late-selection theory

Theory stating attention operates as a filter later in processing after analyzing meaning.

Attenuation theory

The theory that unattended information is weakened before recognition.

Shadowing

A task where an individual repeats an auditory message as presented.

Subliminal perception

The ability to process information not consciously aware of.

Cerebral cortex

The outer layer of the brain's cerebrum responsible for higher cognitive functions.

Frontal lobe

The part of the brain involved in decision-making and voluntary movement control.

Parietal lobe

Responsible for processing sensory information and spatial awareness.

Temporal lobe

Involved in auditory processing, language comprehension, and memory formation.

Occipital lobe

Primarily processes visual information received from the eyes.

Primary visual cortex

Responsible for the initial processing of visual stimuli.

Feature integration theory

Theory explaining how the brain combines individual features of objects into unified experiences.

Feature search

Searching for a target based on a single distinguishing feature.

Conjunction search

Searching for a target defined by a combination of multiple features.

Spotlight metaphor of attention

A concept describing attention as a mental spotlight that focuses on specific stimuli.