Psych Chs 4 & 10

Sensation

the stimulation of sense organs

Perception

The selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input

Light

Vary in amplitude, wavelength, and purity

What is eye made up of?

The cornea and the lens

Lens

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

Pupil

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

Retina

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

Cones

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

Rods

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

Receptive field of a visual cell

The retinal area that, when stimulated, affects the firing of that cell

Optic chasm

The point at which the axons from the inside half of each eye cross over and then project to the opposite half of the brain

Perceptual set

A readiness to perceive a stimulus in a particular way

Feature analysis

The process of detecting specific elements in visual input and assembling them in a more complex form

Bottom-up processing

A progression from individual elements to the whole

Top-down processing

A progression from the whole to the individual elements

Gestalt Principles

1. Figure and Ground

2. Proximity

3. Closure

4. Similarity

5. Simplicity

6. Continuity

Perceptual hypothesis

An inference about what form could be responsible for a pattern of sensory stimulation

Depth perception

Interpretation of visual cues that indicate how near or far away objects are

Visual illusion

An apparently inexplicable discrepancy between the appearance of a visual stimulus and its physical reaality

Cochlea

A fluid-filled, coiled tunnel that contains the receptors for hearing

Basilar membrane

Runs the length of the spiraled cochlea, holds the auditory receptors, called hair cells

Place theory

Holds the perception of pitch corresponds to the vibration of difference portions (places) along the basilar membrane

Frequency theory

Holds the perception of pitch corresponds to the rate (frequency) at which the entire basilar membrane vibrates

Gustatory system

taste

Olfactory system

smell

Pathway of sensation to perception

Environmental stimuli → receptors (transduction) → signal to the brain → activates appropriate brain area → perception

What does bright light do to the pupil?

Constricts and reduces the amount of light

What does dim light do to the pupil?

Dilates and lets more light in

Visual Process

1. Corea and lens

2. Pupil

3. Light sent back through the vitreous gel

4. Retina/transduction

5. Fovea

6. Blind Spot

Blind spot

Axons from the visual receptors exit the eye here forming the optic nerve which sends into the brain

Dark adaptation

Switching from using our cones to our rods; this is a gradual process which takes place as soon as lights are turned off

Process of vision

1. wavelengths of light

2. cones and rods

3. optic nerve

4. occipital lobe

5. color?

Presbyopia

“old eye”, product of the aging process

Color Blindess

Red/Green is the most common

Myopia (nearsightedness)

Eyeballs are too long, focus on close objects, not far

Hyperopia (far sightedness)

Eyeballs are too short, focus on far objects, not close

Astigmatism

Misshapen corea

Cataracts

Lens get cloudy

Glaucoma

Leading cause of blindness, build up of fluid, which causes pressure which is very painful

Macular Degeneration

Second leading cause of blindness

Figure ground principle

Our ability to distinguish a figure from its background

Proximity principle

Tendency to perceive objects that are close together as belonging to a group/unit

Similarity principle

Tendency to perceive objects that are similar as a group/unit

Good Continuation principle

When figures are interupted, we tend to fill in the interupted area to make them “continue”

Closure principle

Tendency to complete objects that are incomplete

Development

The sequence of age-related changes that occur as a person progresses from conception to dearth

Prenatal period

Extends from conception to birth, usually encompassing nine months of pregnancy

3 phases of the prenatal period

1. germinal (first 2 weeks)

2. embryonic (2 weeks to 2 months)

3. Fetal (2 months to birth)

Germinal stage

A structure that allows oxygen and nutrients to pass into the fetus from the mother’s bloodstream, and bodily wastes to pass out to the mother

Environmental factors during pregnancy

1. Nutrition

2. Stress and emotion

3. Drug use

4. Alcohol consumption

5. Maternal illness

6. Environmental toxins

7. Fetal origins of adult disease

Motor development

The progression of muscular coordination required for physical activites

Maturation

Development that reflects the gradual unfolding of one’s genetic blueprint

Developmental norms

Indicate the typical age at which individuals display various behaviors and abilities

Attatchment

The close emotional bonds of affection that develop between infants and caregivers

Language progression

Producing words → using words → combining words

Fast mapping

The process by which children map a word onto an underlying concept after one exposure

Telegraphic speech

Consists of only context words

Overregularization

Occur when grammatical rules are incorrectly generalized

Erikson’s’s Stage Theory

1. Trust vs Mistrust

2. Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt

3. Initiative vs Guilt

4. Industry vs Inferiority

Cognitive

The transitions in youngsters patterns of thinking, including reasoning, remembering, and problem solving

Piaget’s Stage Theory

1. Sensorimotor period (0-2)

2. Preoperational period (2-7)

3. Concrete operational period (7-11)

4. Formal operational (11+)

Secondary sex characteristics

Physical features that distinguish one sex from the other

Puberty

Sexual functions reach maturity

Erikson’s View of Adulthood

1. Intimacy vs Isolation

2. Generativity vs Self Absorption

3. Integrity vs Despair

Gender differences

Disparities between male and females in typical behavior or average ability

Gender roles

Expectations about what is appropriate behavior for each gender