Sensation and Perception

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions related to the chapter on sensation and perception from 'Introduction to Psychology'.

Sensation

The process of sensing our environment through touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell.

Perception

The way we interpret these sensations and make sense of everything around us.

Retina

Layer of visual receptors covering the back surface of the eyeball.

Cones

Photoreceptors adapted for perceiving color and detail in bright light.

Rods

Photoreceptors adapted for vision in dim light, responding to faint stimulation.

Dark Adaptation

Gradual improvement in the ability to see in dim light.

Blind Spot

The part of the retina that has no receptors because exiting axons take up all the space.

Trichromatic Theory

Color vision theory that states color perception results from the relative rates of response of three types of cones.

Opponent-Process Theory

Color vision theory that perceives color as organized in paired opposites: red versus green and blue versus yellow.

Absolute Sensory Threshold

The minimum amount of stimulus energy that can be detected 50% of the time.

Just Noticeable Difference (JND)

the smallest difference that people could detect between one stimulus and another

Signal Detection Theory

study of peoples tendency to make hits, correct rejections, misses and false alarms

Gate Theory of Pain

Theory that pain messages must pass through a 'gate' in the spinal cord that can block messages.

Olfaction

The sense of smell, involving olfactory receptors that detect airborne molecules.

Synesthesia

Condition in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory pathway.

Gestalt Psychology

Psychological perspective emphasizing the perception of overall patterns and contexts.

Feature Detector

Specialized neurons in the visual cortex that respond to specific features of a stimulus, such as edges or angles.

Phantom Limb Pain

Pain perceived in a limb that has been amputated, due to the brain's representation of the limb.

Subliminal Perception

The phenomenon that a stimulus can influence behavior even when it is presented so faintly or briefly that the observer has no conscious perception of it.

Optical Illusion

Visual misrepresentations that occur based on physical illusions or depth cues.

Cochlea

A fluid-filled, snail-shaped tube in the inner ear where auditory transduction occurs.

Gustation

The sense of taste, involving taste buds that detect dissolved chemicals.

Vestibular Sense

The sensory system responsible for providing information about balance and spatial orientation.

Taste Buds

Sensory organs located on the tongue that contain taste receptor cells, responsible for detecting different tastes.

Basic Tastes

The five primary taste qualities detected by taste buds: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.

Olfactory Epithelium

A patch of tissue inside the nasal cavity containing specialized olfactory receptor neurons that detect odors.

Outer Ear

The visible part of the ear and the ear canal, collecting and channeling sound waves to the eardrum.

Middle Ear

Contains the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and three tiny bones (ossicles: malleus, incus, stapes) that transmit sound vibrations to the inner ear.

Inner Ear

The innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs, responsible for hearing and balance.

Auditory Hair Cells

Sensory receptors within the cochlea that convert sound vibrations into electrical signals sent to the brain.

Place Theory

Theory of pitch perception stating that different frequencies cause maximum vibration at different locations along the basilar membrane within the cochlea.

Frequency Theory

Theory of pitch perception stating that the frequency of sound waves is encoded by the rate at which auditory nerve fibers fire impulses.