Psychology Exam #3

Sensation & Perception and Variations of Consciousness

Sensation

Stimulation of sense organs. Automatic

Perception

Selection, Organization and interpretation of sensory input. Cognitive . ACTIVE PROCESS

Psychophysics

Study of how physical stimuli are translated into psychological experiences

Perceptual set

Readiness to perceive a stimuli in a particular way.

Context

the context in which a stimulus is seen can affect the way you perceive it. surrounding cues help us

Gestalts Principles

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Phi Phenomenon

Illusion of movement created by presenting visual stimuli in rapid speed

Simplicity

Group elements to form a “good picture”

Continuity

Following easiest path

Binocular cues

Cues from both eyes

Perceptual constancies

Stable perceptions amid changing stimuli

Size, brightness, shape, hue and location in space

Optical illusions

Disparity between visual appearance and physical reality

what if our perceptual set was perfect

We would never be fooled by illusions

Absolute threshold

Where we detect stimuli correctly 50% of the time. The minimum amount of stimulus that we can detect for a sensory input

Just noticeable difference

Smallest amount of difference or change detectable

Webbers Law

Greater initial stimulus the more stimulus we need to detect just noticeable difference or change

Signal Detection Theory

We are influenced by Noise in our system and the decision making process

What is subliminal perception

We detect stimuli without concious awareness

Sensory Adaptation

We adapt over time. for example; with smells or if a pool is hot or cold

why is sensory adaptation a thing

so we can free our brain and use that part for new stimuli

What is light

Light is a form of radiation it is electromagnetic radiation

What is amplitude

the hight of a wavelength

Amplitude in light

affects the brightness

Wavelength in light

Perception of color

Purity in light

Mix of wavelengths or colors or saturation/richness

What rays do we see

ultraviolet

What is the eye for

housing and Channeling

What is the Cornea

Where light ENTERS the eye

What is the lens

Focuses light rays on the retina

the lens thickens or thins for distance and brightness

Iris

Colored ring of muscle which constricts or dilates for the amount of light

When Iris dilates

becomes large and lets more light in

When iris constricts

Gets smaller, less light in

What is the Pupil for

Regulates the amount of light

Optic disk

Blind spot. Where the optic nerve leaves the eye

What is the retina

Absorbs light, processes images and sends info to the brain

Receptor cells

Rods:Black and White and for low light vision (at night)

Cones: Color and daylight

Adaptation to light

becoming less or more sensitive to light when needed

Ganglion cells

sends info out

Where do rods and cones send their info

To other cells then those cells send to the thalamus and then through the optic disk

How many photopigments for rods versus cones

Rods- 1 and cones have 3

What is photopigment

A chemical that changes structure or shape when hit by light WHich then sends an action potential

What kind of image is outside the retina

a not very crisp detailed one

What does the fovea do

creates very crisp detail

break down the eyes and the brain

the right and left eye collect info from both the left and right visual fields. Then INFO FROM BOTH EYES GO TO BOTH SIDES OF THE BRAIN

Where does info from the left visual field go to

the right side of the retina and vise versa

What is blind sight

Damage to the occipital lobe but the superior colliculus is still intact and they can sense movement

What is the superior colliculus

Area that detects visual movement

What is unilateral visual neglect

½ of visual field is not perceived, they don’t think anything is there. cant see half from each eye

Visual cortex

occipital lobe

Occipital lobe sends to where

Dorsal stream or Ventral stream

What is the Dorsal stream

The pathway for “where” dorsal fin on dolphins is on TOP so on Top of the brain

What is the ventral stream

Pathway for “what”

How to we identify specific faces

multiple cells come together to form the image . Certain neurons fire for face shape, eye color, outfit, hair ect.

What is bottom up processing

Putting parts together. Detect, combine and recognize

What is Top down processing

looking at the whole first

What do long wavelengths show

REDDD

What color does short wavelengths show

VIOLET

Trichromatic theory

young and Helmholtz said we have three color receptors RED, GREEN and BLUE

Opponent Processing Theory

3 pairs of antagonist (opposite) colors

Red/Green, Blue/Yellow, Black/White

Currently what theories of color vision do we use

BOTH opponent process and Trichromatic theory

Stimulus for hearing

Sound waves hitting your eardrums AUTOMATIC

Amplitude in hearing

Loudness

Wavelengths (distance between peaks) in hearing

Pitch

Purity in hearing

Trimbre

How do we describe or measure frequency

In cycles per second Hz

More frequency means

Pitch is increased

Faster frequency

Higher Pitch

External ear does what and is called what

Pinna and is for collecting sound

Middle ear ossicles

Hammer, Anvil and Stirrup

What is the inner ear

Cochlea

The cochlea consists of what

A fluid - filled, coiled tunnel which contains hair cells (auditory receptors) that are lined up on the basilar membrane

Describe the auditory pathway

Sound waves hit eardrum which vibrates the hammer, then the anvil then the stirrup. The stirrup hits against the oval window of the cochlea. Then the fluid starts moving. Hair cells are then stimulated with the movement of the basilar membrane which sends an action potential. Then it goes to the temporal lobe

What is the place theory

Different pitches activate different hair cells

What is the Frequency theory

The frequency of hair cells

What hearing theory do we use today

BOTH frequency theory and Place theory

How do we identify where sounds came from

We use Intensity- loudness. (if something is louder it is closer)

and Timing- where the sound arrives at which ear. our head can be a sound barrier or shadow

What is Gustation

Taste

What are the main 5 tastes

Sweet, Sour, bitter, salty and Umami

what is the only sense that is social and learned

Taste

Pathway of taste

Taste buds, neural impulse, thalamus, cortex (outer covering of brain)

What is Olfaction

Smell

Olfactory cilia

Hair cells

Pathway for smell

olfactory Cilia, Neural impulses, Olfactory nerve, olfactory bulb in brain. SMELL DOES NOT GO TO THALAMUS

What is mechanical stimuli in touch

think of a spring. Up and down movement or let go

Kinesthesis

Knowing the position of our body parts

Vestibular system

Equilibrium/balance

Semi circular canals- 1-half circle over a horizon, 2-straight line — 3-slanted line. Fluid inside moves and we can tell our balance

James’ thought on levels of awareness

Stream of consciousness. Ever changing. can not go back to where we were

Frued’s thoughts on conciousness

we can not access but sleeping and dreams is the ROYAL ROAD To consciousness meaning that is the only way to access

Reticular system

Sleep and arousal

Pons

Sleep cycle

EEG

Monitors brain electrical activity

Beta waves

Very fast waves, Low in amplitude (height). When brain is awake and active!

Alpha waves

Resting and relaxing. Waves are fast but not fastest, amplitude is still kind of low

Theta Waves

Entering sleep, Low alertness. slow waves. higher amplitude

Delta waves

Deep sleep, boring dreams. Very slow waves and Highest amplitude

REM sleep

Rapid eye movement. Brain waves are in Beta. Body is sort of paralyzed. Vivid dreams

Sleep spindles

bursts of coherent brain activity in stage 2 of sleep

Circadian Rhtyms

24 hour biological clocks in our body that regulate temp, sleep cycle and more

Suprachiasmatic nucleus of hypothalamus (scn)

regulates circadian rhythms, helps us prepare for events. wakes us up automatically

Pineal Gland

creates melatonin