Psychology Exam #2

sensation

is the stimulation of sense organs, absorption of energy such as light or sound waves

perception

the selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input

visual agnosia

an inability to recognize objects by sight, disrupted perception that make sensory inputs indistinguishable

cornea

where light enters the eye, “clear window”

lens

a transparent eye structure that focuses on light rays falling on the retina

accomodation

the process of the lens’ soft tissues adjusting to alter your visual focus

What does the lens do when you focus on something close?

the lens get fatter (rounder)

What does the lens do when you focus on something far away?

flattens out

nearsightedness

close objects are seen clearly but distant objects appear blurry because light falls short of retina

• cornea bends too much light

• eyeball is too long

farsightedness

distant objects are seen clearly but close objects appear blurry because light falls behind retina

• eyeball is too short

pupil

opening in the center of the iris that helps regulate the amount of light passing into the rear chamber of the eye

pupil constriction

bright light, less light in the eye, sharpens image

pupil dilation

low light, more light into the eye, less sharp image

retina

neural tissue lining the inside back surface of the eye, it absorbs light, processes images, and sends visual information to the brain

blind spot

• axons running from the retina exit the eye at a single point

• fibers go through a hole in retina called optic disk

• creates a blind spot

Where are the millions of receptor cells located?

the innermost layer of the retina

cones

specialized visual receptors that play a key role in daylight vision and color vision

visual acuity

sharpness of an image

fovea

spot in the center of the retina that contains only cones and has the best visual acuity

rods

specialized visual receptors that play a key role in night vision and peripheral vision

optic nerve

collection of axons which connect the eye to the brain

receptive field of a visual cell

the space on retina that when stimulated fires that cell

split brain behavior

• corpus collosum is split

• left and right brain can’t communicate anymore

• if something is shown to the left visual field, the information is processed by the right hemisphere, but because the communication is severed the person can’t say the name, but could draw the object with their left hand

left hemisphere

• Controls speech, language production, reading, writing, and basic mathematics.

• Controls the right side of the body.

• Receives visual input from the right visual field.

right hemisphere

• Excels at spatial reasoning, face recognition, emotional processing, and non-verbal tasks.

• Controls the left side of the body.

• Receives visual input from the left visual field

heritability

estimates the proportion of phenotypic variation in a specific population that is attributable to genetic differences rather than environmental

• 0 means genes don’t contribute at all

• 1 means all differences are contributed to genetics

What has high heritability coefficient?

• height

• eye color

What has a low heritability coefficient?

• Many personality traits have moderate heritability.

• Some learned behaviors are more strongly influenced by environmental factors.