1.6a sensations | Quizlet

Sensations

Process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive stimulus energies from our environment

Sensory receptors

Sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli

Perception

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

Top down processing

Info processing guided by higher level mental process, as when we construct perceptions drawing on experience and expectations

Bottom up processing

information processing that begins at the sensory receptors and works up to perception

Transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret.

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 (sdt)

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes that there is no single absolute threshold and detection depends on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, alertness.


ex: airport scanner for weapons, detecting radar blips

Subliminal

below one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness

Priming

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response

Difference threshold

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference threshold as just noticeable difference

Weber's Law

to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage

Sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation