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. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green

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

means 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. This results in difficulty distinguishing between certain colors.

Monochromatism

total color blindness, is a rare condition where an individual can only perceive shades of gray, ranging from black to white. This condition is the result of having either no cone cells functioning in the retina or just one type of functioning cone cell

Blindsight

the ability of people who are clinically blind due to damage to their primary visual cortex to respond to visual stimuli that they do not consciously see

Prosopagnosia

"face blindness," a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize faces, people with the disorder can see faces and often can describe features or expressions but cannot recognize the face as belonging to a particular person

Schemas

refer to mental frameworks or structures that help us organize and interpret information from the world around us

Convergence

refers to the inward movement of our eyes when we focus on close objects

Relative Clarity

a depth cue where objects that are clearer and more detailed are perceived as closer, while objects that are hazier or less clear seem farther away

Relative Size

a visual cue where objects closer to us appear larger, while objects further away appear smaller.

Texture Gradient

the way we perceive texture to become 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

occurs when one object overlaps another, leading us to perceive the overlapping object as closer

Shape Constancy

our ability to perceive an object as having the same shape, even when our angle of view or the distance from which we see the object changes

Size Constancy

our perception that an object remains the same size, even when its distance from us changes, causing the image on our retina to grow or shrink

Color Constancy

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, represented by the height of its peaks

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 the frequency of sounds above 1000 Hz. This allows the brain to perceive pitches that exceed the firing rate of individual neurons.

Sound Localization

The brain's ability to determine the location of a sound source in space. It relies on cues such as differences in arrival time and intensity between the ears, as well as spectral cues, to accurately locate sounds.

Olfactory Systems

Responsible for smell. Special receptors in the nose detect smells and send signals to the brain via the olfactory nerve. The thalamus helps process this information, allowing us to identify different odors.

Pheromones

Chemical substances released by animals, including humans, that trigger social or behavioral responses in others of the same species. They play a role in communication, mating, and territorial marking.

Supertasters

Highly sensitive to taste, experiencing flavors more intensely, especially bitterness.

Medium Tasters

Have an average sensitivity to taste, experiencing flavors moderately.

Nontasters

Less sensitive to taste, experiencing flavors less intensely than others

Warm/Cold Receptors

Specialized sensory neurons in the skin that detect changes in temperature. Warm receptors respond to increases in temperature, while cold receptors respond to decreases. They help us perceive and regulate our body's temperature.

Pain

your body's message telling you that something has gone wrong, not a sensation but an emotional response to stimuli

Semicircular Canals

Fluid-filled structures in the inner ear that detect rotational movements of the head. They play a crucial role in the vestibular sense, helping to maintain balance and coordination by sending signals to the brain about changes in head position and movement.

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. It occurs due to the brain's continued perception of the limb, even though it's no longer there