AP PSYCHOLOGY — SENSATION MASTER CRAM SHEET (5 LEVEL)

Transduction

Transformation of one form of energy into another, specifically the process of converting physical energy into electrochemical neural impulses.

Absolute Threshold

The minimum intensity needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time.

Difference Threshold (Just Noticeable Difference)

The smallest difference detectable between two stimuli 50% of the time.

Weber's Law

The principle that the size of the Just Noticeable Difference (JND) is proportional to the intensity of the stimulus.

Sensory Adaptation

Diminished sensitivity to unchanging stimuli, occurring at the receptor level.

Vision

The sense that involves detecting light and interpreting it as visual images, with key properties including hue, brightness, and saturation.

Auditory Pathway

The route that sound waves take as they travel through the ear: Pinna → Auditory Canal → Eardrum → Ossicles → Cochlea → Auditory Nerve → Temporal Lobe.

Color Vision Theories

There are two main theories of color vision: Trichromatic Theory (three cone types: red, green, blue) and Opponent-Process Theory (opposing color pairs). Both theories apply to different aspects of color perception.

Gate-Control Theory

A theory that states pain is influenced by both physical and psychological factors, where the brain can close spinal gates to pain signals.

Five Tastes

The basic taste sensations: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, and Umami.

Smell (Olfaction)

The chemical sense allowing detection of odor molecules, with distinctive characteristics such as a direct path to the limbic system and quick sensory adaptation.

Vestibular Sense

The sensory system that contributes to balance and the sense of spatial orientation.

Kinesthetic Sense

The awareness of body position and movement, involving proprioceptors in muscles and joints.

Conduction Hearing Loss

A type of hearing loss resulting from mechanical damage to the outer or middle ear.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea or auditory nerve.

Tinnitus

A condition characterized by ringing or buzzing in the ears without an external sound.

Photoreceptors

Cells in the retina (rods and cones) that detect light and help in vision.

Rods

Photoreceptors that are more numerous, responsible for black & white vision, motion detection, and functioning in dim light.

Cones

Photoreceptors responsible for color vision, fine detail, and functioning in bright light, concentrated in the fovea.

Place Theory

A theory of pitch perception stating that different frequencies stimulate different locations on the cochlea.

Frequency Theory

A theory of pitch perception stating that the rate of nerve impulses traveling to the brain matches the frequency of the sound.