AP Psych: Sensation and Perception

Sensation

Process by which sensory receptors are stimulated by stimulus from the enivornment

Perception

process of organizing and interpreting sensory information

Bottom up processing

Analysis that begins with sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s processing of the sensory receptors

Top down processing

information processing guided by prior expectations and schemasA

Absolute threshold

mininum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time

Signal detection theory

how and when we are able to detect stimulus

Subliminal Stimulation

stimulation below one’s threshold of conscious awareness, effect on thinking but not on behavior

Difference Threshold

minimum difference between two stimuli required to detect it 50% of the time

Sensory Adaption

diminishing sensitivity to unchanging stimuli

Selective Attention

focusing attention on specific stimuli while ignoring other stimuli

Transduction

transforming stimuli energies (light, sound) into neural impulses

Wavelength

shorter —> blue

longer —> red

Amplitude

height of wave, determines loudness or brightness

Pupil

Adjustable opening in center of eye where light passes

Iris

Ring of muscle that forms colored part of eye. Controls pupil size.

Lens

transparent structure behind pupil that changes shape (accomadation) to help with focus

Nearsightedness

can only see nearby objects

Farsightedness

can only see distant objects

Rods

detect white black and grey, low light and motion

Cones

color version and sharp details

Bipolar cells

transmits visual signals to ganglion cellsG

Ganglion cells

transmit information via forming the optic nerve

Blindspot

area in retina where there are no rods or cones

Feature detectors

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of a visual stimulus such as shape or movement

Parallel processing

percieve multiple aspects at once

Young-Helmboltz Trichromatic theory

red green and blue receptors stimulated in combination to produce any color

Opponent Process Theory

opposing retinal processes forming colors. stimulated red inhibiting green

color constancy

percieving familiar objects as having the same color even if

audition

sense of hearing

frequency

pitch

amplitude

loudness

sound localization

soundwaves strike one ear sooner and with more intensity, helps you know where the sound is comming from

middle ear

concentrate vibrations

inner ear

transform vibration into electrical signals

cochlea

sound waves convert to electrical signals

basilar membrane

hair cells to for auditory nerves (which transmit neural impulses to the brain)

Place theory

pitch associated with place basilar membrane is stimulated

frequency theory

brain determined pitch by the rate of which nerve impulses are fired

volley principle

while some neurons are recharging during refractory period, others are firing

conduction deafness

damage to structure that conducts sound wave

nerve deafness

deafness by the haircells that convert vibration to neural signalg

gate control theory

spinal cord ability to send pain is regulated by a gate, which opens when the body percieves pain

sensory interaction

one sense affected by another

smell

molecule in air sending message to olfactory bulb which transmits the message

kinethesis

sensing position of muscle and joints

vestibular sense

sense of balance

figure ground perception

percieve a figure as different from the ground

visual capture

vision to dominate other senses when conflicting information is percieved

gestalt principle

we group stimuli by:

• proximity

• similarity

• continuity

• connectedness

  • closure

visual cliff

children not falling off fake cliff type shit

binocular cues

things that requrie both eyes to see

retinal disparity

greater the difference between the two images each eye sees, the closer the image

convergence

rate and which eyes converge. greater the convergence, greater the closeness

monocular cues

require only one eye to see

relative size

smaller object is further away

interposition

if image blocks another, it is closer

relative clarity

hazy objects further away, clearer objects closer

texture gradiant

things are smoother further away, grittier up close

relative height

higher objects are further away

linear perspective

parrallel lines converge in the distance

light and shadow

dimmer object is further away

phi phenonmenon

successive blinking gives the illusion of motion

strobscopic movement

rapdily changing frames gives motion (frame rate)

shape constancy

familar objects as constant even when they change

size constancy

size remains the same

lightness constancy

lightness stays the same

perceptual adaption

ability to adjust to artificially displaced view

perceptual set

mental predespitsiton to percieve one thing and not the other

context effects

contexts shifts ur perception