AP Psychology: Sensation and Perception

Sensation

Stimulation of the sensory organs

Ex. waking up to the smell of bacon

Perception

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

Ex. identifying the smell as breakfast

Top-down processing

When we perceive a stimulus based on prior experiences and knowledge.

Bottom-up processing

When a stimulus shapes the way we perceive something.

Selective Attention

The concentration on and distinguishing of certain stimuli in an environment

Psychophysics

branch of psychology that studies the relationship between objective physical characteristics of a stimulus.

Threshold

The magnitude of a stimulus that leads to detection (REACTION ALWAYS)

Ex. saying 'Alexa's' name

Absolute Threshold

The minimum amount of stimulation required to trigger a reaction (REACTION SOMETIMES)

Ex. Whispering 'Alexa's' name

Just Noticeable Difference

The amount of something that must be changed in order for a difference to be noticeable

Ex. turning up the volume of music by notch

Weber's law

A mathematical model of difference threshold stating the magnitude needed to detect physical change.

Signal Detection theory

theory regarding how stimuli are detected under different conditions

Subliminal

Relating to stimuli that are below the difference threshold or absolute threshold.

Sensory Adaptation

The way our senses adjust or get used to different stimuli.

Fechner's Law

A mathematical formula relating subjective experience to changes in physical stimulus.

Transduction

The stimulation of sensory receptors and the neural impulse that results from that stimulation.

Cocktail Party effect

When an individual is somewhere loud or busy, or focused on something else but attention is called to a word or name that is said.