Wavelength-Embodied Cognition

Wavelength

Distance between wave peaks; determines hue/color.

Hue

Color we perceive.

Intensity

Amount of energy in a wave; determines brightness.

Cornea

Clear outer covering that bends incoming light.

Pupil

Opening that lets light into the eye.

Iris

Colored muscle that controls pupil size.

Lens

Focuses light onto the retina.

Retina

Light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye.

Accommodation

Lens changes shape to focus near/far objects.

Rods

Receptors for dim light and peripheral vision.

Cones

Receptors for color and detailed vision.

Optic nerve

Carries visual information to the brain.

Blind spot

Point where optic nerve exits; no receptors.

Fovea

Retinal center with the sharpest vision.

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory

We see color using three cone types: red, green, and blue.

Opponent-process theory

Color is processed in opposing pairs: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white.

Feature detectors

Brain cells that respond to specific visual features.

Parallel processing

Brain processes different visual features simultaneously.

Audition

Sense of hearing.

Frequency

Number of waves per second; determines pitch.

Pitch

How high or low a sound seems.

Middle ear

Contains bones that amplify sound vibrations.

Cochlea

Fluid-filled inner-ear structure that converts vibrations to neural signals.

Inner ear

Contains the cochlea and balance structures.

Sensorineural hearing loss

Hearing loss from cochlea or nerve damage.

Conduction hearing loss

Hearing loss from problems conducting sound through the outer or middle ear.

Cochlear implant

Device that electrically stimulates the auditory nerve.

Place theory

Pitch depends on where the cochlea is stimulated.

Frequency theory

Pitch depends on how fast auditory neurons fire.

Gate-control theory

Spinal cord "gate" regulates pain signals to the brain.

Gustation

Sense of taste.

Olfaction

Sense of smell.

Kinesthesis

Sense of body position and movement.

Vestibular sense

Sense of balance and head movement.

Sensory interaction

One sense influences another.

Embodied cognition

Our body and physical experiences influence our thinking.