Unit 4 - Sensation and Perception Terms

Sensation

The process of attending to and taking in stimuli from the environment.

Perception

The interpretation and organization of sensory information.

Bottom Up (Processing)

Perceptual processing where the brain pieces together all incoming stimuli, then makes a decision on what it is perceiving.

Top Down (Processing)

Perceptual processing that is based on higher level knowledge, expectation, and memory.

Sensation

*Bottom Up* Processing relies more on _____________________(Sensation/Perception).

Perception

*Top Down* Processing relies more on _____________________(Sensation/Perception).

Perceptual Set

The phenomenon that describes how our *expectations* greatly influence our experience. AKA Perceptual Expectancy.

Top Down

*Perceptual Set* is a major factor in __________ __________ (Top Down/Bottom Up) Processing.

Psychophysics

The study of the links between physical stimuli in the world and the psychological experience of those stimuli.

Smell

All senses are directly routed to the *Thalamus* EXCEPT: ______________.

Transduction

The conversion of one type of energy to another.

Sensory Adaptation

The process of *Receptor Cells* becoming less receptive or responsive after prolonged exposure to a constant stimulus.

Habituation

When the *Brain* stops paying attention to things that don't change. However, as soon as that thing changes, it grabs your attention.

Absolute Threshold

The minimum amount of a stimulus one can detect 50% of the time it's present.

Subliminal Message(s)

Information below the Absolute Threshold of detection that the brain can *Receive* but does not *Perceive*.

Signal Detection (Theory)

A theory that categorizes whether or not people respond to a stimulus.

Difference Threshold

The minimum amount of *difference* between two stimuli that one can detect 50% of the time (AKA Just Noticeable Difference).

Weber's Law

This states that the size of the *Difference Threshold* tends to be a constant *Proportion* and not *Amount* to the initial stimulus.

Cornea

The *Outer Layer* of the eye for *Protection*, which also is the first line of focusing light inwards.

Pupil

The hole in the center of the eye that lets light through.

Iris

The muscle in the eye with a color pigment that shrinks and dilates the pupil.

Lens

The part of the eye that changes shape to focus light on to the Retina.

Cataract(s)

A condition of the lens in the eye that causes it to become cloudy.

Retina

The back of the eye that houses the rods and the cones and is where sensation occurs.

Rods

The *Visual Receptors* that see in *Black and White*.

Cones

The *Visual Receptors* that see in *Color*.

Rod(s)

_______________ Comprise the *Vast Majority* of all *Visual Receptors* on the Retina.

Fovea

The place of greatest clarity and acuity on the Retina.

Cone(s)

Almost *All* of the _______________(Rod/Cone) receptors in the eye are located in the *Fovea*.

Blind Spot

The part of the retina *Devoid of Receptors* where the optic nerve exits the eye.

Bipolar (Cells)

These cells in the Retina *Combine* signals from multiple *Rods and Cones* and send them to *Ganglion Cells*.

Ganglion (Cells)

These cells in the Retina *Combine* signals from multiple *Bipolar Cells* and send them along the *Optic Nerve*.

Optic Nerve

The *Axons* of the Ganglion Cells in the Retina that carry the Visual Neural message to the Thalamus.

(Primary) Visual Cortex

The portion of the brain in the occipital lobe responsible for processing visual information.

Peripheral (Vision)

Vision that extends beyond the central Visual Field outwards towards the ears and cannot sense color well.

(Gestalt Principle of) Closure

This states that the Brain does not like *Gaps in Perception*, so it will *Contextually* fill them in.

Trichromatic (Theory)

A theory that states there are *Three* different types of cones for *Red*, *Green*, and *Blue* (AKA - Young-Helmholz Theory).

Opponent Process (Theory)

A visual theory that states that cones are linked together to form *Opposing Color Pairs* that inhibit each other and, once relieved, can leave an afterimage of the opposing color.

Green

According to the *Opponent Process Theory* of color vision, if you stare at something *Red* for a while, looking at a white surface will leave a ____________(Color) *Afterimage*.

Color Blindness

A visual deficiency where one usually lacks a certain cone receptor and cannot sense one of the three RGB colors.

Gustation

The alternate word to describe the sense of *Taste*.

Olfaction

The alternate word to describe the sense of *Smell*.

Papillae

Clusters of taste receptors (buds) on the tongue.

Umami

The relatively recently discovered taste that can be sensed by humans that is often described as *Savory* and linked with foods with *MSG* and that are rich in *Protein*.

T(rue)

*True/False*: Taste receptor cells regrow if damaged.

Olfactory Bulb

The place where Olfactory Receptors are located (nasal cavity).

Olfactory Nerve

The major neural connection between the Olfactory Receptors and the Olfactory Cortex.

Memory

Smell is thought to be so highly linked to ______________ because the Olfactory System is wired to the brain right near the Limbic System (Hippocampus/Amygdala).

Anosmia

The loss of the sense of smell.

Touch

The sense of __________ involves numerous types of receptors for pressure, pain, temperature, and more located under the skin.

Gate Control (Theory)

The theory that describes how *Fast* "Alerting" nerves of the surrounding inflicted area have the ability to inhibit the *Slow* "Pain Sending" nerves momentary at the *Spinal Gate*.

Selective Attention

The capacity for the brain to, when receiving *Multiple Stimuli*, *Selectively Focus* some attention to one stimulus. The brain is *Still Aware* of the other stimulus (AKA - Divided Attention).

Cocktail Party Effect

The ability to easily attend to one voice in a noisy *Social Setting*. However, if your name is called from across the room, it would instantly grab your attention even though you hadn't been paying direct attention.

Inattentional Blindness

When the brain selectively attends to something in the environment and often *Misses* or is *Blind* to other incoming stimuli.

Change Blindness

A type of *Inattentional Blindness* where the brain fails to notice *Changes* in its environment.

Somatosensory Cortex

The brain area located in the *Parietal Lobe* that processes *Touch* information for different body parts.

Kinesthetic (Sense)

The sense that tells you where your body parts are and whether they are moving and contains receptors in the joints.

Proprioceptor(s)

Specialized Sensory Neurons found in *Joints*, *Tendons*, and *Muscles* that give information regarding the *Position* of individual body parts and *Movement*.

Vestibular (Sense)

The sense that measures balance and whole body positioning in fluid-filled semicircular canals in the inner ear.

Synesthesia

The experience of one sense in terms of another (Ex: Hearing Colors).

Proximity

The *Gestalt Principle* of ________________ states that people tend to group things that are *Close Together*.

Figure Ground (Perception)

Perception where what is focused on is perceived as being set apart from the background.

Shape Constancy

The ability to recognize an object for what it is even when its *Shape Changes* when viewed from different angles.

Feature Detector (Cells)

Specialized *Cells* in the visual cortex designed only to respond to *Particular Angles* or lines in the visual field.

Monocular (Depth Perception)

_______________ *Depth Perception* describes depth perception with only *One Eye*.

Binocular (Depth Perception)

_______________ *Depth Perception* describes depth perception with *Two Eyes*.

Interposition

The *Monocular Depth Perception* phenomenon where objects nearer to you appear *In Between* you and objects that are further away.

Motion Parallax

The *Monocular Depth Perception* phenomenon where objects nearer to you move *More Quickly* than objects further away.

Texture Gradient

The *Monocular Depth Perception* phenomenon where objects further away appear *Less Precise* and detailed in their appearance, while closer objects are more distinct.

Closer

In terms of *Monocular Depth Perception*, when viewing two objects that are roughly the *Same Size* you will perceive the *Larger* one as being ______________(Closer/Farther) to/from you.

Convergence

The *Binocular Depth Perception* phenomenon where as an object moves *Closer* to you, your eyes converge on it and you feel the *Tension* in the *Ciliary Muscles* of your eyes.

Retinal Disparity

The *Binocular Depth Perception* phenomenon where your eye perceives *Three Dimensions* based on the slight differences in perspectives between the *Two Eyes*.

Phi Phenomenon

A visual illusion where a series of lights switched on one after another gives the appearance of a single moving light.

Muller Lyer (Illusion)

An illusion where two lines with *Opposing Arrows* on the ends of them cause you to perceive one line as *Slightly Longer* when they are actually the same length.

Stroop Effect

A cognitive phenomenon observed with two *Automatic Processes* competing with each other.

Phantom (Pain)

Pain that is experienced in amputated limbs that is merely psychological, and is much more difficult to treat.

Ossicle(s)

Small bones in the inner ear that pass vibrations onto the oval window and into the cochlea.

Hammer

The *First Ossicle* directly after the *Tympanic Membrane*.

Anvil

The *Middle Ossicle* that receives input from an Ossicle, and transmits it to another.

Stirrup

The *Final Ossicle* that transmits vibrations onto the *Oval Window* and *Cochlea*.

Cochlea

A *Fluid Filled Spiral Structure* in the inner ear where *Sound Vibrations* are *Sensed*.

Basilar (Membrane)

The interior *Membrane* of the cochlea that contains the hair receptor cells for hearing.

Auditory Cortex

The portion of the brain in the *Temporal Lobe* responsible for processing *Hearing Input*.

Conduction (Deafness)

*Deafness* resulting from *Blockage* of the *Transmission* of sound waves. Here, information *Never* reaches the otherwise normal Cochlea.

Sensorineural (Deafness)

*Deafness* caused by damage to *Hair Cells* in the Cochlea or the *Auditory Nerve*.

Place (Theory)

An auditory *Theory* that suggests we identify the pitch of sounds based on the *Location* of vibrations on the *Basilar Membrane*.

Frequency (Theory)

An auditory *Theory* that suggests that the brain identifies pitch based on how *Rapidly* nerve impulses fire (measured in Hertz).

Hair (Cells)

The *Receptor* Cells within the Cochlea that take Auditory Vibrations and transduce them into a Nerve Impulse.

(Sound) Localization

The process of using *Both Ears* and the relative *Delay* and *Volume* differences between them to determine *Where a Sound Is Coming From*.

Visual Cliff

A *Depth Perception* experimentation *Apparatus* that tests a baby's ability to perceive depth, and has shown it to take about 8 months for depth perception to develop.