sensation & perception

  1. Define Sensation in general

    1. stimuli coming through senses

  2. Define Perception in general

    1. process of giving meaning to the message  ( you understand because you been taught)

  3. Give an example of an accessory structure

    1. lens of eye, flexible part of ear, hair on skin, taste buds, nostrils

  4. Define the absolute threshold

    1. minimum about of stimulus energy that can be detected 50% of the time

  5. Define encoding

    1. translation of physical properties of a stimulus into a specific pattern of neural activity

    2. encoding touch info: through weight and location ( heavier weight = higher rate of neural firing)

  6. On a wavelength diagram, label the baseline, wavelength, and amplitude

  1. What determines the color we see?

    1. wavelength 

  2. Define transduction ( slide 8 for reference)

    1. convert physical energy into neural activity by neural receptors & sensory adaptations

  3. What is sensitivity in signal detection theory

    1. mathematical model of how personal sensitivity & response bias combines to determine your decision about near threshold stimulus

  4. Understand basic functions of rods v. cones

    1. basic function: photoreceptors; takes time to rebuild chemicals after they break down; increasing ability to see in dark as time passes 

    2. Rods: 1 kind of chemical & more sensitive

    3. Cones: 4 chemicals & provide color vision ( fovea-- density of cones = acuity or details & macular degeneration)

  5. What is dark adaptation

    1. increasing ability to see in dark as time passes 

  6. Where is your blind spot?

    1. point where optic nerve leaves eyeball 

  7. What is the optic chaism and how would we see if we didn’t have it?

    1. they are feature detectors- cells in the cerebral cortex that respond to a specific feature of an object

  8. Define hue, saturation, and brightness

    1. Hue:  essential “color” determined by dominant wavelength

    2. saturation: purity of the color

    3. brightness: overall intensity of the wavelengths

  9. What causes colorblindness? 

    1. Occurs when the CONES is missing a chemical

  10. What part of the wavelength diagram is related to “loudness” of a sound

    1. Amplitude

  11. Differentiate between pitch and timbre

    1. pitch: how high or low a sound is in hertz ( 1 cycle per sec is 1HZ)

    2. timbre: mix of frequencies and amplitude & psychological dimension of sound quality

  12. How can you tell some hearing damage may have occurred? 

    1. bones fusing together ( conduction deafness) result in use of hearing aid of surgery

    2. nerve deafness: acoustic nerve/hair cells damaged & occurs w age or loud music

  13. Define synesthesia

    1. interaction of senses: 

      1. “ feel “ colors or sounds

      2. “taste” words or shaps

      3. “smell” sounds

  14. Differentiate between olfactory and gustatory perception

    1. Olafactory: sense of smell

    2. gustatory: sense of taste

    3. both are chemical senses

  15. Define flavor

    1. combo of taste & smell that converge in orbitofrontal cortex ( sweet, bitter, salty, savory)

  16. Which sense does NOT process through the thalamus?

    1. SMELL ( it goes though the bny plate of skull directly into the brain or olfactory bulb)

  17. Which sense is mostly closely related to memory?

    1. SMELL because it spreads through the brain specifically the AMYGDALA which links odor to memory and emotion

  18. What are pheromones?

    1. chemicals released by one creature and detected by another & can be used for mating or warnings

  19. touch and temp are vital for survival ( ie: if baby had  fever and couldnt feel pain , baby could die )

  20.  pain : A- delta = sharp pricking sensation

    1. C-fiber= dull continuous aches & burning sensation

    2. Emotional response to pain depends on mood