CHAPTER 3 Vocab (G-P)

Question 1

The idea that incoming pain sensations must pass through a “gate” in the spinal cord that can be blosed, thus blocking pain signals

Answer 1

Gate-control theory

Question 2

A theorietical orientation based on the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Answer 2

Gestalt psychology

Question 3

Objects that can be represented in two-dimensional pictures but cannot exists in three-dimensional space

Answer 3

Impossible figures

Question 4

The smallest difference int he amount of stimulation that a specific sense can detect

Answer 4

Just noticeable difference (JND)

Question 5

The sensdory system that monitors the position of the various parts of one’s body

Answer 5

Kinesthetic system

Question 6

Th sensory system for taste

Answer 6

Gustatory system

Question 7

A process in the retina that occurs when neural activity in a cell opposes activity in surrounding cells

Answer 7

Lateral antagonisms

Question 8

The transparant eye structure that focues the light rays falling on the retina

Answer 8

Lense

Question 9

The process whereby the eyes become less sensitive to light in high illumination

Answer 9

LIght adaptation

Question 10

Clues about distance based on the image from either eye alone

Answer 10

Monocular depth cues

Question 11

Cue to depth that involves images of objects at different distances moving across the retina at different rates

Answer 11

MOtion parallax

Question 12

A vision deficiency in which close objects are seen clearly but distant objects appear blurry

Answer 12

Nearsightedness

Question 13

The sensory system for smell

Answer 13

Olfactory system

Question 14

The theory that color perception depends on receptors that make antagonistic responses to three pairs of colors

Answer 14

Opponent process theory

Question 15

The point at which theo ptic nerves from the inside half of each eye cross over and then project to the opposite half of the brain

Answer 15

Optic chiasm

Question 16

A hole in the retina where the optic nerve fibers exit the eye

Answer 16

Optic disk

Question 17

An apparently inexplicable discrepancy between the appearance of a visual stimulu and its physical reality

Answer 17

Optical illusion

Question 18

Simultaneously extacting different kinds of information from the same input

Answer 18

Parallel processing

Question 19

The selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input

Answer 19

Perception

Question 20

A tendency to experience a stable perception in the face of continually changing sensory input

Answer 20

Perceptual constancy

Question 21

An inference about which distal stimuli could be responsible for the proximal stimuli sensed

Answer 21

Perceptual hypothesis

Question 22

A readiness to percive a stimulus in a particualr way

Answer 22

Perceptual set

Question 23

The illusion of movement created by presneting visual sitmuli in rpaid succession

Answer 23

Phi phenomenon

Question 24

Clues about distance that can be given in a flat picture

Answer 24

Pictorial depth cues

Question 25

The idea that perception of pitch corresponds to the vibration of different portions or places along the basilar membrane

Answer 25

Place theory

Question 26

The fact that subjects’ expectations can lead them to experience some change even though they recieve an empty, fake, or ineffectual treatment

Answer 26

Placebo effects

Question 27

The stimulus energies that impinge directly on sensory receptors

Answer 27

Proxiaml stimuli

Question 28

The study of how physical stimuli are translated into psychological experience

Answer 28

Psychophysics

Question 29

The opening int he center of the iris that helps regulate the amount of light passing into the rear chamber of the eye

Answer 29

Pupil