Studied by 8 people
sensation
the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment
perception
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
Bottom-up processing
analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information
Top-down processing
information processing guided by higher-level mental processes (as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations)
selective attention
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus
inattentional blindness
failing to see visible objects when our attention id directed elsewhere
change blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment
transduction
conversion of one form of energy into another
psycho physics
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience on them
absolute threshold
the minimum stimulation necessary to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
signal detection theory
a theory predicting how and when we predict the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation(noise)
subliminal
below ones absolute threshold for conscious awareness
priming
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing ones perception, memory, or response
difference threshold
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time- just noticeable different
webers law
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage
sensory adaptation
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
perceptual set
a mental disposition to perceive one thing and not another
wavelength
the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next
hue
the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light
intensity
the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined as by the waves amplitude
pupil
adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters
cornea
outer covering of the eye
iris
ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
lens
the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
accommodation
the process by which the eye's lens change shape to focus near or far objects in the retina
retina
the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor pods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
rods
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray. necessary for peripheral vision
cones
retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina. responsible for color
optic nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot
fovea
the central focus point in the retina, around which the eye's cone cluster
feature detectors
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement
parallel processing
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously
Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory aka three color theory
the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors (red, green, and blue)which, when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color
opponent-process theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision aka after image
gestalt
an organized whole
figure ground
the organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surrounding
grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
depth perception
the ability to see objects in 3 dimensions although the image that strike the retina are 2-dimensional, this allows us to judge a distance
visual cliff
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
binocular cues
depth cues that depend on the use of 2 eyes, such as retinal disparity
retinal disparity
a binocular cue for perceiving depth, by comparing images from the retinas in the 2 eyes, the brain compute distance
monocular cues
depth cues available to either eye alone. including: relative height, relative size, interposition, linear perspective, relative motion, light and shadow
phi phenomenon
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
perceptual constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging even as illuminated and retinal images change
color constancy
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
perceptual adaptation
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially placed or even inverted visual field
audition
the sense or act of hearing
frequency
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point ina given time
pitch
a tone's experienced highness or lowness, (dependent upon frequency)
middle ear
the chamber between the ear drum and cochlea containing three tiny bones that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window
inner ear
the innermost important part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.
cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear
sensorineural hearing loss
loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptors or to the auditory nerves
conducting hear loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
cochlear implant
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
place theory
in hearing, the theory that links pitch we hear with the place the cochlear's membrane is stimulated
frequency theory
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch.
gate control theory
the theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass onto the brain.
kinesthesis
the system
vestibular sense
the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance (semicircular canals)
sensory interaction
the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
embodied cognition
in psychological science, the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states of cognitive preferences and judgements
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