Licht Chapter 3 Psychology

sensation

process by which sensory organs receive and detect stimuli

perception

organization and interp of sensory stimuli by brain

transduction

process of transforming stimuli into neural signals

bottom-up processing

taking basic sensory information about incoming stimuli and processing it for further interpretation

top-down processing

drawing on past experiences and knowledge to understand and interpret sensory info

absolute threshold

weakest stimuli that can be detected 50% of the time

sensory adaptation

sensory receptors tend to be less sensitive to constant stimuli

difference threshold

the min diff btwn 2 stimuli that can be noticed 50% of the time

Weber's law

each of 5 senses has own constant ratio determining difference thresholds

signal detection theory

various factors influence ability to detect weak signals in environment

wavelength

distance between wave peaks (or troughs)

hue

color of object, determined by wavelength of light it reflects

What is amplitude?

height of a wave, measured distance from midpoint to peak/trough

cornea

clear outer layer of eye that shields it from damage and focuses incoming light waves

iris

muscle responsible for changing size of pupil

Accommodation

lens changes shape in order to focus on images near and far

Retina

layer of eye that contains photoreceptor cells and location for transduction of light energy into neural activity

Photoreceptors

cells that absorb light energy and turn it into chemical and electrical signals for the brain to process

Rods

specialized light receptors in the retina that are responsible for sight when light is low; not sensitive to color, but useful for night vision

Cones

Specialised light receptors responsible for sensation of color and ability to sense details

Optic nerve

Bundle of axons from ganglion cells leading to visual cortex

Blind spot

Part where optic disk exits retina, a location where there are no rods or cones

Feature detectors

neurons in visual cortex specialised to detect specific visual experiences, such as angles, lines, and movements

Dark adaptation

ability of eyes to adjust to dark after exposure of bright

Light adaptation

ability of eyes to adjust after being in dark

trichromatic theory

perception of color is result to 3 types of cones, red, green and blue

afterimage

image that lingers in visual field after stimulus is removed

opponent process theory

perception of color derives from special group of neurons that respond to opponent colors (ie: red-green, blue-yellow)

audition

sense of hearing

What is frequency?

number of sound waves passing a given point per second; high frequency is high pitch and vice versa

cochlea

converts soundwaves into electric signals

place theory

pitch corresponds to location of vibrating hair cells along cochlea

frequency theory

pitch is determined by vibrating frequency of sound wave, basilar membrane, and assoc neural impulses

volley principle

perception of pitches between 400-4k Hz is made possible by neurons working together to fire in volleys

olfaction

sense of smell

gustation

sensation of taste

gate control theory

percept of pain increases or decreases through interaction of biopsychosocial factors; signals are sent to open/close gates that control neurological pathways of pain

kinesthesia

sensory syst that conveys info about body position and mvmt

proprioceptors

specialised nerve endings primarily located in the muscles and joints that provide information about body location and orientation

vestibular sense

sense of balance and equilibrium

illusions

perception inconsistent with sensory data

gesalt

natural tendency for the brain to organize stimuli into a whole rather than parts and pieces

figure-ground

as attention is focused on one object, all other features drop or recede to background

depth perception

ability to perceive 3D objects and judge distances

binocular cues

info gathered from both eyes to help judge depth and distance

convergence

binocular cue used to judge distance and depth based on tension of muscles that direct where eyes are focusing

retinal disparity

binocular cues that uses differences between images seen by two eyes to determine distance of object

monocular cues

depth and distance cues that require only one eye

perceptual constancy

tendency to perceive objects as stable in terms of shape, size, and color, regardless of changes in sensory data received

shape constancy

obj is perceived as maintaining its shape, regardless of img projected in retina

size constancy

obj is perc as maintain size, regardlesss of img project on retina

color constancy

obj are perceived as maintaining their color even w/ changing sensory data

perceptual set

tendency to perceive stimuli in specific manner based on past experiences and expectation

extrasensory perception (ESP)

purported ability to obtain info abt world w/o sensory stimuli

parapsychology

study of ESP

Information received by sensory receptors is organized, interpreted, and assigned meaning through the process of:

perception.

A woman standing next to you at the supermarket has some very strong-smelling cheese in her basket. You notice the odor immediately, but within a matter of minutes you can barely detect it. This reduced sensitivity to a constant smell results from the process of:

sensory adaptation.

It’s dark outside, and you are struggling to read a flyer posted outside the library. If you turn your gaze slightly to the side, you can make out the words. The ability to see them is due to your:

rods.

Hue is determined by the _______ of the light reflecting off an object.

Wavelength.

The pitch of a sound is based on the ________ of its waves.

frequency.

When a sound wave hits the eardrum, it causes vibrations in the bones of the middle ear, making the fluid in the cochlea vibrate. Hair cells on the basilar membrane bend in response to the motion, causing nerve cells to fire. This process is known as:

transduction.

Chemicals from food are released in saliva, where they dissolve and bathe the taste buds. The chemicals find matching receptors and latch on, sparking action potentials. This is an example of:

transduction.

Maya notices that her severe back pain seems to diminish when she laughs and enjoys the company of friends. This observation is consistent with _____ which suggests a variety of biopsychosocial factors can interact to amplify or diminish pain perception.

the gate-control theory

One binocular cue called _____ is based on the brain’s interpretation of the tension in muscles of the eyes.

convergence

What is bottom-up processing?

Starting with details, then coming to a conclusion

What is top-down processing?

Starting with an idea, then figuring out details

Stimuli are detected through the process called:

sensation.

You're listening to your favorite playlist. The sound waves transmitted through your earbuds lead to vibrations in the fluid in your cochlea. This activity causes the hair cells to bend, which causes nearby nerve cells to fire. This process of transforming stimuli into electrical and chemical signals of neurons is:

transduction.

While riding your bike, you get something in your eye. As the day goes on, your eye still feels irritated. It is possible you've scratched your ______, which is the transparent outer layer that protects the eye and bends light to help focus light waves.

cornea

The various types of electromagnetic energy can be distinguished by their ________, only some of which can be detected by the human eye.

wavelengths

In color vision, the opponent-process theory was developed to explain the _________, which could not be explained by the theory.

afterimage effect; trichromatic

Frequency theory of pitch perception suggests it is the number of ______ that allows us to perceive differences in pitch.

neural impulses firing

The wiring of the olfactory system is unique. Other sensory systems relay information through the ________ before it is passed along to higher brain centers, but this is not the case for olfaction.

thalamus

We are aware of our body position in space because of specialized nerve endings called ___, which are primarily located in joints and muscles.

proprioceptors

Hector is staring at the small print on the back of his credit card. Which of the following would be a binocular cue indicating how close the credit card is to his face?

tension of the muscles focusing the eyes

One of the gestalt organizational principles suggests that objects close to each other are perceived as a group. This is known as:

proximity.

Where are neural signals processed?

the central nervous system

What is the Weber criteria for intensity JND (just noticeable difference)?

8%

What is the Weber criteria for weight JND?

2%

What is the Weber criteria for sound JND?

4%

What is the Weber criteria for taste of salt JND?

8%

What is the Weber criteria for electric shock strength JND?

1%

What are examples of internal factors that affect signal detection?

fatigue, hunger, expectations, motivation

What are examples of external factors that affect signal detection?

temperature, illumination, ambient noise

What is purity?

how saturated a colour is

Pupil

controls amount of light entering the eye

Lens

focuses incoming light and changes shape

Photoreceptors

specialised retina cells that turn light energy into chemical and electrical signals for the brain to process

Bipolar cells

cells that transmit signals from photoreceptors to ganglion cells; have synapses on both sides of the cell

Ganglion cells

cells that relay sensory sight information to the brain

Fovea

provides sharpest and most detailed central vision

Where does visual information go to in the brain after being processed by the eyes?

half of each eye information goes to one thalamus, the other half goes to the opposite thalamus

What is the most common kind of colour-blindness?

Red-Green

Sound waves

alternating zones of high and low pressure moving through the environment

What initiates the neural cascade for the sensation of sound?

bending hair cells

What does place theory help explain?

high-pitched noises

What does frequency theory help explain?

low-pitched noises

Sensorineural deafness

damage to hair cells or auditory nerve

Conduction hearing impairment

damage to ossicles or eardrum

How does the sensation of smell begin?

odour molecules bind to receptor cells in olfactory tissue, and starts an action potential