Unit 2 Flashcards (Daily Videos)

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sensation

receiving information from the environment, converting it into a neural message, and send it to the brain to be evaluated

perception

organizing and interpreting sensory information

bottom-up processing

relies on external sensory information; individual elements to the whole

feature detectors

the evidence to support bottom-up processing

top-down processing

relies on internal prior expectations and experiences to fill in gaps to complete a perception; whole to individual parts

schema

a mental framework for organizing and understanding our world; the basis of top-down processing

perceptual set

the readiness to perceive something in a particular way or having an expectation for a stimulus

gestalt

an organized whole

closure

the gestalt principle of making a whole by filling in the gaps

figure and ground

the gestalt principle where the figure is the object and the ground is the surroundings

proximity

the gestalt principle that items close together group more easily than items far apart

similarity

the principle that items more alike group more easily than items that are different

attention

interaction of sensation and perception that is affected by internal and external processes

inattentional blindness

occurs when attention is focused on one part of the visual field, which may lead to you missing or ignoring other parts of the visual field

change blindness

occurs when differences in the visual field are not perceived due to inattention or a brief interruption

retinal disparity

determining depth based on the difference between what each eye sees (closer=more difference)

convergence

determining depth based on how much both eyes rotate inward (closer=more inward)

relative clarity

monocular; objects appearing sharper and less hazy are perceived as closer than those that appear more blurred or hazy

relative size

monocular; assuming similar size, the brain perceives objects casting smaller images as more distant compared to objects casting larger images

texture gradient

monocular; the visual texture of a surface becomes finer and less detailed as distance increases

linear perspective

monocular; parallel lines appear to converge at a distant point

interposition

monocular; when one object partially covers another object, it appears closer

apparent movement

occurs when we perceive movement from a non-moving object

concept

a mental grouping based on shared features that comes from experience

prototype

the ideal example of a concept

accomodation

changing an existing schema or creating a new schema due to new information

algorithm

addresses a problem by attempting all possible solutions until the correct one is found; example is a recipe

provides an accurate solution when used correctly

pro of an algorithm

can’t solve every problem because it is time-consuming, has too many unknowns, or uses subjective values

con of an algorithm

heuristic

addresses a problem by using mental shortcuts to make judgements; example is best brand=the most expensive brand

fast, efficient, frees cognitive resources, and simplifies problem solving

pros of using a heuristic

there is not a guaranteed solution and is error-prone

cons of using a heuristic

representative heuristic

categorizing situations or probability of an event based on how similar they are to existing prototypes or schemas

statistics; base rates

representative heurisitics are quick but lead to errors becau ____ and ____ being ignored

availability heuristic

decisions are made by recalling the first or most vivid example that comes to mind

mental set

the tendency to approach problems using familiar and previously successful strategies; leads to rigid thinking and problem solving

framing

a bias where people decide on options based on whether the options are presented with positive or negative connotations

gambler’s fallacy

the false belief that you can predict a chance (random) event based on past chance (random) events

sunk-cost fallacy

making a bad decision because time, effort, or money were already spent

executive functions

cognitive processes that allow individuals to generate, organize, plan, and carry out goal-directed behaviors and critical thinking; controlled by the prefrontal cortex

increases; decreases

executive functions ____ with age, but ____ with old age

creativity

a way of thinking that generates new and original ideas that are useful

divergent thinking

generating many ideas or solutions

convergent thinking

using knowledge and logic to narrow options to find the known solution or single correct answer

functional fixedness

failing to solve a problem because you are stuck on an object’s common use