AP PSYCH UNIT 3 Flashcards

Sensation

The process of detecting and encoding stimuli through sensory organs.

Perception

The organization and interpretation of sensory information.

Transduction

Conversion of sensory stimuli into neural signals that the brain can interpret.

Absolute Threshold

The minimum amount of stimulus needed for detection.

Difference Threshold

The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection.

Signal Detection Theory

A theory explaining how stimuli are detected under different conditions.

Weber’s Law

The principle that the noticeable difference between two stimuli is a constant proportion despite variations in intensity.

Sensory Adaptation

Diminished sensitivity to constant and unchanging stimuli.

Sensory Habituation

The brain's tendency to ignore environmental factors that remain constant.

Cocktail Party Effect

The ability to focus attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out other stimuli.

Subliminal Sensation

Sensory stimulation below a person's threshold for conscious perception.

Bottom-up Processing

Processing sensory information as it is coming in.

Top-down Processing

Using past experiences and knowledge to understand sensory information.

Schema

Mental frameworks that help interpret and organize information.

Perceptual Set

A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.

Context Clues

Environmental cues that assist perception.

Selective Attention

Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.

Divided Attention

Ability to attend to multiple stimuli simultaneously.

Inattentional Blindness

Failing to see visible objects when attention is directed elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failing to notice changes in the environment.

Wavelength

The distance between successive peaks of a wave.

Amplitude

The height of a wave, determining its intensity.

Anatomy of the Eye

The structure and components involved in vision.

Cornea

The transparent outer covering of the eye.

Pupil

The adjustable opening in the center of the eye.

Iris

The colored part of the eye surrounding the pupil.

Lens

Focuses light rays onto the retina.

Accommodation

The eye's ability to adjust its focus.

Retina

The innermost layer of the eye containing photoreceptors.

Photoreceptors

Cells in the retina that respond to light.

Rods

Photoreceptors responsible for black-and-white vision in low light.

Cones

Photoreceptors responsible for color and detail vision.

Optic Nerve

Carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.

Blind Spot

Area of the retina lacking photoreceptors.

Feature Detectors

Nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of a stimulus.

Parallel Processing

Simultaneously analyzing different aspects of a sensory stimulus.

Trichromatic Theory

Theory of color vision proposing three types of cones:red, green, and blue.

Color Deficient Vision/Color Blindness

Inability to perceive certain colors due to missing or defective cones.

Gestalt Principles

Principles that describe the brain's organization of sensory information into meaningful wholes.

Figure-Ground

Distinguishing between an object and its background.

Proximity

Grouping nearby figures together.

Similarity

Grouping similar figures together.

Continuity

Perceiving continuous patterns.

Closure

Filling in gaps to complete a whole object.

Perceptual Constancy

Perceiving objects as unchanging despite changes in sensory input.

Brightness/Color Constancy

Perceiving brightness/color as constant despite changes in illumination.

Size Constancy

Perceiving objects as having a constant size despite changes in distance.

Shape Constancy

Perceiving objects as having a constant shape despite changes in orientation.

Perceived Motion

Perception of movement without physical motion.

Phi Phenomenon

Illusion of movement created by rapidly displayed images.

Stroboscopic Effect

Perceived motion in a series of still images presented rapidly.

Autokinetic Effect

Perceived movement of a stationary light in a dark room.

Depth Perception

Ability to perceive the distance of objects.

Monocular Cues

Depth cues that require one eye.

Linear Perspective

Parallel lines appear to converge with distance.

Interposition

Overlapping of objects to perceive depth.

Relative Size

Perception of depth based on the size of objects.

Relative Clarity

Perception of less clear objects as farther away.

Relative Height

Objects higher in the visual field are perceived as farther away.

Light and Shadow

Use of shadows and light to perceive depth.

Texture Gradient

Gradual change in texture indicating distance.

Binocular Cues

Depth cues that require both eyes.

Retinal Disparity

Difference in the images seen by each eye.

Convergence

The closer the object, the more inward our eyes need to turn.

Optical Illusion

False or misleading perceptions caused by errors in the brain's interpretation of sensory information.

Sound wave

Vibrations that travel through the air and are interpreted as sound.

Frequency

Vibrations that travel through the air and are interpreted as sound - Pitch

Outer Ear

Collects and funnels sound waves into the ear canal.

Pinna

Visible part of the outer ear.

Auditory Canal

Passageway that leads from the pinna to the eardrum

Eardrum

Membrane that vibrates in response to sound waves.

Middle Ear

Transmits vibrations from the eardrum to the cochlea.

Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup

Three tiny bones in the middle ear that amplify vibrations.

Inner Ear

Contains the cochlea, responsible for hearing

Cochlea

A coiled, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear containing hair cells.

Place theory

Different areas of the cochlea respond to different frequencies.

Frequency Theory

Rate of nerve impulses matches the frequency of a tone.

Sound Localization

Ability to locate the source of a sound.

Conduction hearing loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.

Sensorineural Hearing loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or hair cells within ear.

Somatosensation

The body’s system for touch, temperature, and pain sensations.

Cochlear Implant

Device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve.

Gate-Control theory of pain

Theory that a “gate” in the spinal cord controls the transmission of pain signals to the brain

Taste buds and papillae

Structures on the tongue that contain taste receptors.

Five taste sensations

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami (savory).

Olfactory Receptor Cells

Cells responsible for detecting airborne molecules.

Olfactory Bulb

Structure in the brain responsible for smell.

Motion Senses

Senses responsible for perceiving movement.

Kinesthesia

The sense of body position and movement.

Vestibular Sense

The sense of body orientation and balance.

Opponent-Process theory

Theory explaining color vision as processed by opponent pairs (Red-green, blue-yellow)

Afterimage

A visual sensation that remains after a stimulus is removed.