Sensation/Perception Flashcards

AP Psychology with Fuller at Waunakee High School

About this deck

By: Abigail Zellner
Textbook:

Psychology: Ap Edition
Created: 2012-03-14
Size: 88 flashcards
Views: 21

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Sensation

a process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energy

perception

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
***brings meaning to sensation, but isn't perfect

bottom-up processing

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information

top-down processing

information processing guided by higher level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations

psychophysics

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

light- brightness
Sound- volume
Pressure- weight
Taste- sweetness

Absolute threshold

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

Difference threshold

minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference (JND)

signal detection theory

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
detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation and level of fatigue

subliminal messages

Words or pictures that are not consciously perceived but may nevertheless influence people's judgments, attitudes, and behaviors

Weber's law

to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)

sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

Transduction

conversion of one form of energy into another
In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret

Wavelength

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

Hue

dimension of color determined by wavelength of light

Intensity

amount of energy in a wave determined by amplitude (brightness, loudness)

pupil

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

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

lens

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

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

fovea

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

cornea

where light enters the eye

rods

retinal receptors that detect black, white, gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond

Photo Receptors

Visual stimuli (form of light) They are sensitive to the change of intensity or hue of light.

optic nerve

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

blind spot

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there

just noticeable difference (JND)

the smallest change in the intensity of a stimulus that we can detect

vitreous gel

also known as vitreous humor, soft, clear, jelly-like mass that contains millions of fine fibers, these fibers are attached to the surface of the retina and help the eye maintain its shape

macula

central region of the retina; responsible for central vision; yellow pigment provides its color (lutea = yellow)

accommodation

the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

acuity

the sharpness of vision

nearsightedness

a condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because distant objects focus in front of the retina

farsightedness

a condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the image of near objects is focused behind the retina

feature detectors

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle or movement

Parallel Processing

The processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously

Trichromatic Theory

Young/Helmholtz
Three different retinal color receptors (red, blue, green)

Color-Deficient vision

can't see certain colors

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

Color constancy

Perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object

audition

hearing

frequency

the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time

pitch

highness or lowness of sound
depends on frequency

middle ear

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer,anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate on the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window

inner ear

the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs

cochlea

a coiled, bony, fluid filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses

place theory

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

Activate hairs in different places along the basilar membrane

frequency theory

Basilar membrane vibrates at same frequency as sound wave

Volley Theory

Sounds above 1000 hz require activity of multiple neurons

Sound Localization

Interpretation by the brain of sound waves entering both ears in order to determine the direction the sound is coming from

conduction-hearing loss

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

Sensorineural hearing Loss (nerve deafness)

caused by damage to the auditory receptors of the cochlea or to the auditory nerve due to disease, aging, or prolonged exposure to ear-splitting noise.

vestibular sense

the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance (tiny hairs in the semicircular canal of the inner ear)

Kinesthetic Sense

perception of our limbs in space.
(receptors are joints, muscles, and tendons)

Olfaction

sense of smell

Gustation

the sense of taste

4 main qualities of taste

sweet, sour, bitter, salty

Gate-control theory

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

Fechner's law

The observation that the strength of a sensation is proportional to the logarithm of physical stimulus intensity.

Steven's power law

The perceived magnitude of a stimulus is equal to its actual physical intensity raised to some constant power. The constant power is different for each type of sensory judgment.

Basilar Membrane

Plate of fibers that forms the base of the cochlear partition and separates the middle and tympanic canals in the cochlea

Oval Window

The flexible opening to the cochlea through which the stapes transmits vibration to the fluid inside

Auditory Nerve Fiber

Collection of many neurons that convey information from hair cells in the cochlea (afferent) and from (efferent) the brain stem.

Binding Problem

The question of how separate brain areas combine forces to produce a unified perception of a single object

perceptual consistency

the ability to recognize the same object as remaining "constant" under changing conditions
*size
*color
*shape

inattentional blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

change blindness

failing to notice changes in the environment

choice blindness

failing to notice a change in a previously selected item

Illusion

misinterpretation of a stimulus

The Hermann Grid

Seeing spots at an intersection

muller-lyer illusion

illusion of line length that is distorted by inward-turning or outward-turning corners on the ends of the lines, causing lines of equal length to appear to be different.

Gestalt theory

brain forms a perceptual whole that is more than the mere sum of its sensory parts

Figure

The part of a pattern that commands attention/stands out

Ground

The part of a pattern that does not command attention/background

Law of Similarity

tend to group similar objects together in our perceptions

Law of Proximity

Gestalt: tend to group objects together when they are near each other

Law of Continuity

Gestalt: prefer percepts of connected and continuous figures to disconnected and disjointed ones

Law of Common Fate

Gestalt: tend to group similar objects together that share a common motivation/destination

Law of Pragnanz

Gestalt: the simplest organization (requiring the least cognitive effort) will emerge as the figure

Perceptual Set

readiness to detect a particular stimulus in a given situation

Ponzo Illusion

drawing lines the same length

Monocular depth cues

Clues about distance based on the image from either eye alone.

binocular cues

depth cues that depend on the use of two eyes

Motion paralax

Helps us figure out depth things in a car that seem to go by faster, while things in the distance appear stationary

texture-density gradient

things far away appear less detailed

relative size

a comparison of size between items without knowing the absolute size of either one; something seems smaller due to distance

interposition

if one object partially blocks out view of another, we perceive it as closer; overlapping

height in the horizontal plane

distant objects appear higher in the picture

convergence

eyes cross more when something comes closer to the face

Retinal Disparity

By comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance -- the greater the difference between the two images, the closer the object; BRAIN OVERLAPS EYES' PICTURES

About this deck

By: Abigail Zellner
Textbook:

Psychology: Ap Edition
Created: 2012-03-14
Size: 88 flashcards
Views: 21

About StudyBlue

“I have used this website for three exams, and I see a huge difference in my test results.”
Naj