Unit One Topic Six: Sensation Study Guide

What is Sensation?

The process of detecting information from the environment through sensory organs.

How does Perception differ from Sensation?

Perception involves interpreting and organizing sensory information, while sensation is the initial detection of it.

What is a Stimulus?

Any signal strong enough to cross a threshold noticeable by the sensory organs.

What is Sensory Transduction?

The conversion of detected stimuli into electrical messages (neural signals) that can be understood by the brain.

What is the Absolute Threshold?

The smallest amount of stimulus that can be detected at least 50\% of the time.

What is Sensory Adaptation?

The process of becoming less sensitive to a constant stimulus over time.

What is the Difference Threshold (Just Noticeable Difference)?

The smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected at least 50\% of the time.

What is Weber's Law?

The principle that to notice a difference, stimuli must differ by a constant percent rather than a constant amount.

What is Sensory Interaction?

When different senses work together to enhance the perception of a stimulus.

What is Synaesthesia?

A neurological condition where one sense triggers another, such as seeing colors when hearing music.

What are Rods?

Photoreceptor cells in the retina that enable vision in dim light but do not provide color or fine detail.

What are Cones?

Photoreceptors in the retina, densely packed in the fovea, that allow for color detection and clear vision.

What is the Blind Spot?

The area where the optic nerve exits the eye, which lacks photoreceptor cells.

What is Accommodation?

The process by which the lens changes shape to focus light on the retina for objects at different distances.

What is Myopia (Nearsightedness)?

A vision disorder where the lens focuses light in front of the retina.

What is Hyperopia (Farsightedness)?

A vision disorder where the lens focuses light behind the retina.

What is the Trichromatic Theory?

The theory that color vision results from three types of cones sensitive to blue, green, and red wavelengths.

What is the Opponent Process Theory?

The theory that color is processed in pairs (Red-Green, Blue-Yellow, Black-White).

What is Prosopagnosia?

A disorder characterized by difficulty recognizing familiar faces, also known as face blindness.

What is Blindsight?

The ability to react to visual stimuli without conscious awareness due to damage in the primary visual cortex.

What is Place Theory?

The theory that pitch perception depends on the specific location stimulated on the basilar membrane (explaining high pitch).

What is Frequency Theory?

The theory that the rate of neural impulses matches the frequency of a sound wave (explaining low pitch).

What is Volley Theory?

The idea that neurons fire in rapid succession to detect mid-range frequencies.

What is Sound Localization?

The ability to determine the direction and distance of a sound based on timing and volume differences between both ears.

What is Conduction Deafness?

Hearing loss caused by damage to the outer or middle ear structures preventing transmission to the inner ear.

What is Sensorineural Deafness?

Hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve due to age, loud sounds, or genetics.

What is Olfaction?

The chemical sense of smell involving odor molecules binding to receptor cells in the nasal cavity.

What are Pheromones?

Chemicals detected by the olfactory system that affect behavior or physiology.

What is Gustation?

The chemical sense of taste involving receptors known as taste buds.

What are the six basic tastes?

Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Umami, and Fatty.

What is Gate Control Theory?

The model that explains how pain signals can be blocked or amplified by the spinal cord and higher-order brain processes.

What is Phantom Limb Sensation?

The experience of feeling sensations in a missing limb due to the brain's neural representation.

What is the Vestibular Sense?

The sense of balance and spatial orientation regulated by fluid-filled semicircular canals in the inner ear.

What is Kinesthesis?

The sense