Studied by 1 person
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 info, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
bottom-up processing
analysis that begins with the sense receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory info
top-down processing
info processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
psychophysics
the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them
absolute threshold
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
signal detection theory
predicts how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus [signal] amid background stimulation [noise]. Detection depends partly on a person’s psychological state
subliminal
below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness
difference threshold
the minimum difference that a person can detect between two stimuli; just noticeable difference
Weber’s law
the principle that, to perceive their difference, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage rather than a constant amount
sensory adaptation
diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
transduction
conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies into neural impulses
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 [brightness or loudness] as determined by the wave’s amplitude
pupil
the adjustable opening in the center of eye through which light enters
iris
a 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 focus images on the retina
accommodation
the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus the image of near objects to the retina
retina
the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual info.
acuity
the sharpness of vision
nearsightedness
a condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because the lens focuses the image of distant objects in front of the retina
farsightedness
a condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the image of near objects is focused behind the retina
rods
retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond
cones
receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-fit conditions; detect fine detail and give rise to color sensation
optic nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses for the eye to the brain
blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye; no receptors cells are located there
fovea
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster
feature detectors
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of stimulus
parallel processing
the processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of info processing for many functions
Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory
the theory that the retina contains 3 different color receptors [red, blue, green] which when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color
opponent-process theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision [red-green; yellow-blue; white black]
color constancy
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even after changing the illumination of the object
audition
the sense of hearing
frequency
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time
pitch
a tone’s highness or lowness; depends on the frequency
middle ear
the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing 3 ossicles [hammer, anvil, stirrup] that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window
inner ear
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs
cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses
place theory
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated; high-pitched
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; low-pitched
conduction hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
sensorineural hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness
gate-control theory
theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological gate that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The gate is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in large fibers or by info from the brain
sensory interaction
the principle that one sense may influence another
kinesthesis
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
vestibular sense
the sense of body movement and position; the sense of balance
selective attention
the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus; cocktail party effect
visual capture
the tendency of vision to dominate the other senses
gestalt
an organized whole; gestalt psychologists emphasize out tendency too integrate pieces of info as a meaningful whole
figure-ground
the organization of the visual field into objects [figures] that stand out from their surroundings [ground]
grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups
depth perception
the ability of see objects in 3D although the images that strike the retina are 2D; allows us to judge distance
visual cliff
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
binocular cues
dept cues, like retinal disparity and convergence, that depend on the use of two eyes
monocular cues
dept cues, like linear perspective and overlap, available to either eye alone
retinal disparity
perceives depth: the greater the disparity [difference] between 2 images the retina receives of an object, the closer the object is to the viewer
convergence
perceives depth; the extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object
phi phenomenon
an illusion movement created when 2+ adjacent lights blink on and off in succession
perceptual constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change
perceptual adaptation
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
perceptual set
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
extrasensory perception [ESP]
the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input
parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomena
Note 
Flashcard (21)