AP Psych Unit 3: Mods 16-19

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sensation

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46 Terms

1

sensation

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

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2

perception

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

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3

bottom-up processing

analysis that begins with sensory receptors and works up to brainā€™s integration of sensory information (new info!)

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4

top-down processing

information processing where we construct perceptions drawing on experience and expectations (things we alr know)

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5

selective attention

conscious awareness of particular stimulus

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6

inattentional blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

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7

change blindness

failing to notice changes in the environment

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8

transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another - in sensation, transforming of stimulus energies like sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses brain can interpret

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9

psychophysics

study of relationships between physical characteristics of stimuli, like their intensity, and our psychological experience of them

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10

absolute threshold

minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time

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11

signal detection theory

theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise) - assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a personā€™s experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness

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12

subliminal

below oneā€™s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

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13

priming

unconscious activation of certain associations, thus predisposing oneā€™s perception, memory, or response

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14

difference threshold

minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time - ā€œjust noticeable differenceā€ (jnd)

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15

weberā€™s law

principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage rather than constant amount

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16

sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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17

perceptual set

mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

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18

wavelength

distance from peak of one light or sound wave to peak of the next - electromagnetic wavelengths vary from short blips of cosmic rays to long pulses of radio transmission

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19

hue

dimension of color that is determined by wavelength of light; what we know as color names like blue, green, red

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20

intensity

amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by waveā€™s amplitude

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21

pupil

adjustable opening in center of the eye through which light enters

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22

iris

ring of muscle tissue, forms colored portion of the eye around pupil and controls size of pupil opening

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23

lens

transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

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24

retina

light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual info

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25

accomodation

process by which the eyeā€™s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

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26
<p>rods</p>

rods

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones donā€™t respond

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27
<p>cones</p>

cones

retinal receptor cells concentrated near the center of the retina that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions - cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations

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28

optic nerve

nerve that carries neural impulses from eye to brain

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29

blind spot

point where optic nerve leaves eye, creating a ā€œblindā€ spot because no receptor cells are located there

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30

fovea

central focal point in the retina, around which the eyeā€™s cones cluster

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31

feature detectors

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement

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32

parallel processing

processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; brainā€™s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision - contrasts with step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving

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33

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory

theory that the retina contains three different color receptorsā€”one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blueā€”which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color

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34

opponent-process theory

theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision - example: some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green

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35

gestalt

an organized whole - Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes

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36

figure-ground

organization of the visual field into objects (figures) that stand out from their surroundings (ground)

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37

grouping

perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups (proximity, continuity, closure)

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38

depth perception

ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance

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39

visual cliff

a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

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40

binocular cues

depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

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41

retinal disparity

a binocular cue for perceiving depth: by comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distanceā€” the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object

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42

monocular cues

depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone

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43

phi phenomenon

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession

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44

perceptual constancy

perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, brightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change

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45

color constancy

perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object (checkerboard colors)

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46

perceptual adaptation

in vision - the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or inverted visual field

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