Unit 3 Not in the book terms

Just Noticeable Difference (JND)

The smallest change in the intensity of a stimulus that can be detected.

Synesthesia

Stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.

Opponent-process theory

The theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable color vision.

Ganglion Cells

Neurons in the retina that receive visual information from bipolar cells and transmit it to the brain via the optic nerve.

Nearsightedness

When you can see objects close to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry.

Farsightedness

The condition where you can see distant objects clearly, but close ones are blurry.

Dichromatism

A type of color vision deficiency where a person has only two types of the three normal cone photoreceptors functioning in the retina.

Monochromatism

Total color blindness, where an individual can only perceive shades of gray.

Blindsight

The ability of people who are clinically blind to respond to visual stimuli that they do not consciously see.

Prosopagnosia

"Face blindness," a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize faces.

Schemas

Mental frameworks or structures that help us organize and interpret information.

Convergence

The inward movement of our eyes when we focus on close objects.

Relative Clarity

A depth cue where clearer objects are perceived as closer.

Relative Size

A visual cue where closer objects appear larger than those further away.

Texture Gradient

The perception of texture becoming denser and finer as it recedes into the distance.

Linear Perspective

A depth cue where parallel lines appear to converge as they recede into the distance.

Interposition

When one object overlaps another, leading us to perceive the overlapping object as closer.

Shape Constancy

The ability to perceive an object as having the same shape despite changes in angle or distance.

Size Constancy

The perception that an object remains the same size despite changes in distance.

Color Constancy

The ability to perceive colors of objects as stable under varying lighting conditions.

Apparent Movement

The perception of motion when there isn't any actual movement.

Amplitude

The measure of the intensity or loudness of a sound wave.

Wavelength

The distance between sound wave peaks.

Volley Theory

A theory of pitch perception proposing that groups of auditory neurons fire in rapid succession to encode high-frequency sounds.

Sound Localization

The brain's ability to determine the location of a sound source in space.

Olfactory Systems

Responsible for smell, detecting odors and sending signals to the brain.

Pheromones

Chemical substances released by animals that trigger social or behavioral responses in others of the same species.

Supertasters

Individuals highly sensitive to taste, experiencing flavors more intensely.

Medium Tasters

Individuals with average sensitivity to taste, experiencing flavors moderately.

Nontasters

Individuals less sensitive to taste, experiencing flavors less intensely.

Warm/Cold Receptors

Specialized sensory neurons that detect changes in temperature.

Pain

The body's message indicating something has gone wrong, an emotional response to stimuli.

Semicircular Canals

Fluid-filled structures in the inner ear that detect rotational movements of the head.

Gustation

The sense of taste, involving receptors on the tongue that detect different flavors.

Phantom Limb

Sensation of pain or other feelings in a missing limb due to the brain's continued perception of it.