AP Psych Senses

sensation

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

sensory receptors

sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli

perception

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

bottom up processing

starting with the sensory input, the brain attempts to understand/make sense

top down processing

guided by experience and higher-level processes, we see what we expect to see

selective attention

our tendency to focus on just a particular stimulus among the many that are being received

cocktail party effect

focusing your attention on one thing amidst other stimuli

selective inattention

At the level of conscious awareness, we are in only one place at a time and so we miss salient objects that are available to be sensed.

inattention blindes

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

change blindess

failing to notice changes in the visual environment

choice blinds

choices were switched but explained their choice regardless

transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another basics of sensory systems receive, transform, deliver

Pyschophysics

the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them

thresholds

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

difference threshold

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time

signal detection

A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus ("Signal") amid background stimulation ("Noise"). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue.

webers law

to be able to tell the difference between degrees of stimulation, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage

subliminal stimuli

not detectable 50% of the time; they are below your absolute threshold

priming

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response

sensory adaption

diminished sensitivity to stimuli as a consequence of constant stimulation

vision

the part of the sight energy spectrum visible to humans is small

wavelength

the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next

frequency

wavelength - what hue of color

amplitude

height = how bright

intensity

the amount of energy in a light wave sound wave which influences what we perceive as brightness or loudness

cornea

the eye's clear, protective outer layer, covering the pupil and iris

iris

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

retina

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

rods

retinal photoreceptors that detect black, white and gray and are sensitive to movement

cones

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions.

eye to brain pathway

Light-energy particles trigger chemical reactions in receptor cells, rods and cones, that form an outer layer of cells of the retina at the back of the eye.

fovea

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster

optic nerve

the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

blind spot

optic disk is the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells (rods or cones) are located there

trichromatic or young-helmholz

theory is theory that the retina contains three different types of color receptors (cones) one most sensitive to red, one to gree, to one to blue which when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color

color blindess

one in 50 people, usually male, lack functioning red or green sensitive cones, or sometimes both vision is monochromatic or dichromatic

hering opponent-process theory

cone photoreceptors are paired together to enable color vision activation of one color inhibits activation of the other

afterimage

results when certain ganglion cells in the retina are activated while others are not

prosopagnosia

face blindness

audition

the sense of act of hearing, sound occurs through the movement of air molecules at different wavelengths called pitch and amplitudes (loudness)

theories

place theory volley theory and frequency theory both light and sound travel in waves amplitude and wavelength determines the quality of the waves

transduction hearing

the motion of the sound vibration against the oval window of the cochlea causes ripples in the basilar membrane bending the hair cells lining its surface

place theory

the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated

frequency theory

the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

sound localization

describes how we identify where sounds are coming from

sensorineural

permanent hearing loss that results from damage or malformation of the middle ear and auditory nerve

conduction (hearing)

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

touch

pressure, warmth, cold and pain

somatosensory cortex

section of the brain that receives incoming sensory information from our skin as well as other sense

Biopschosocial Perspective

incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

why is pain biological

because of the sensory receptors called nociceptors mostly in skin, but also in your muscles and organs that detect hurtful chemicals, temperature and pressure

pain circuit

sensory receptors respond to potentially damaging stimuli by sending an impulse to the spinal cord which passages message to the brain which interprets the signal as pain

gate-control theory

states the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. gate is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in large fibers or by information coming from the brain

phantom-limb pain

the brain can create pain as it does in phantom-limb sensations after a limb amputation

different ways of pain

psychological pain, social-culture

psychological pain

impacted by attention, expectations, learning based on experience - our memories of pain may be edited from the actual pain recall two things: peak moments and pain at the end - expectations, experience attention to pain

social-culture pain

influenced by the presence of others empathy for other's pain cultural expectations

two chemical senses

taste and smell

taste (gustation)

200 or more taste buds, each containing a pore that catches food chemicals

fact abt taste receptors

the number of taste receptors on the tongue is related to how sensitive people are to tastes - supertasters, medium tasters, or non-tasters

smell (olfaction)

we smell something when molecules of a substance carried in the air reach a tiny cluster of receptor cells at the top of each nasal cavity

survival functions

sweet, salt, sour, bitter, umami, oleogusters

sweet

energy

salt

sodium essential

sour

potentially toxic acid

bitter

potential poisons

umami

proteins to grow and repair tissue

olegustus

oily or fatty taste

process of olfaction

sense of smell is the only one of the five sense that does not pass neural info through the thalamus

fun fact

taste smell and memory are related

kinesthetic sense

position and motion detectors in muscles, tendons and joints sense the position and movement of body parts

vestibular

fluid filled semicircular canals and a pair of calcium crystal-filled vestibular sacs located in the ears monitors the head's and body's movements

embodied cognition

the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and other states on cognitive preferences and judgements

example of embodied cognition

hold hot drink and perceive others as warm

synesthesia

in a few individuals the brain circuits for two or more senses become joined in a phenomenon called synesthesia, where the stimulation of one sense triggers an experience of another

independent variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

example of an independent variable

Fertilizer added to the soil

dependent variable

The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable

example of a dependent variable

if one studies for a test, the grade on the test will be better. (Grade=Dependent)

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord coordinates incoming and sensory messages and outgoing motors

autonomic nervous system

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms.

peripheral nervous system

sensory and motor neurons relays messages from CNS to rest of body

somatic

controls bodys skeletal muscles - voluntary

autonomic

controls the glands and the muscles of internal organs

sympathetic nervous system

arouses the body, gas, mobilizes energy, increase heart, blood pressure, blood sugar, cools body, and decreases digestion

parasympathetic

calms the body, conserves energy, rest and digest (brakes/parachute) stimulates digestion, processes waste, decreases heart, blood pressure, stimulates digestion

amygdala

lima-bean sized clusters linked to emotion, fear, and aggression,

frontal

speaking, motor movement, judgement and decision making

parietal

receives auditory information primarily from opposite ear

occipital

receives visual information primarily from opposite visual field

temporal lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing and language.

sleep stages

relaxed stage (alpha waves)

stage 1 (early sleep) (hallucinations)

stage 2 (sleep spindles - bursts of activity) (sleep talk)

stage 3 (transition phase) (delta waves)

stage 4 (delta waves) (sleepwalk/talk + wet the bed)

stage 5 (REM) (sensory-rich dreams) (paradoxical sleep)

REM

rapid eye movement sleep a recruiting sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occurring considered paradoxical b/c produces waves similar to wakefulness - dreaming

NREM

non-rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep

circadian rhythm

the 24hr cycle of day and night impact sleep-wake cycles temperature, hormonal and digestive cycles - age and experiences can alter these patterns sleep stages identified by their EEG patterns

night terrors

target mostly children who may sit up or walk around talk incoherently experience doubled heart and breathing rates and appear terrified while asleep - seldom wake up during episode and recall little or nothing the next morning usually occur in NREM

sleep apnea

(no breath) stop breathing use of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)

narcolepsy

sudden attacks of overwhelming sleepiness, usually lasting less than 5 minutes often triggered by strong emotions

agonists

exciting neuron firing can mimic a neurotransmitter and open receptor site (increases action) some opiates amplify normal pleasure sensations enhances

antagonist

Inhibit neuron firing block reuptake or blocks neurotransmitter from opening receptor site botulinum causes paralysis botox (curare blocks receptor sites on muscles)