2.1 Flashcards
(38 cards)
What is perception?
The cognitive process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, allowing us to recognize meaningful objects and events.
Define sensation.
The process of transduction, where stimuli are converted into electrochemical energy that the nervous system can process.
What is bottom-up processing?
Analysis that starts with sensory receptors and builds up to the brain’s integration of sensory information.
What is top-down processing?
An approach guided by higher-level mental processes, where experiences and expectations shape perceptions.
Define sensory adaptation.
A decrease in sensitivity to a constant stimulus over time, allowing focus on changes in the environment.
What is selective attention?
The process of focusing conscious awareness on a specific stimulus while ignoring others.
What is lateral inhibition?
A neural mechanism where neighboring neurons inhibit each other’s activity, enhancing contrast.
What are feature detectors?
Specialized nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of stimuli, such as shape or movement.
What does the Gestalt principle of proximity state?
Objects that are close together are perceived as a group.
What is the principle of similarity in Gestalt psychology?
We tend to group figures that are similar in appearance.
Define closure in Gestalt principles.
The tendency to fill in gaps in a visual image to perceive a complete object.
What does common fate refer to in perception?
Objects that move together are perceived as part of the same group.
What is depth perception?
The ability to perceive the world in three dimensions, allowing for the judgment of distance.
What are monocular cues?
Depth cues that can be perceived with one eye, including interposition, relative size, and texture gradient.
Fill in the blank: Interposition is a monocular cue where if one object partially blocks another, the blocked object is perceived as _______.
farther away.
Define relative size as a depth cue.
Smaller retinal images are perceived as being farther away.
What is texture gradient?
A gradual change from coarse, distinct textures to fine, indistinct textures indicating increasing distance.
What does linear perspective indicate?
The convergence of parallel lines indicates greater perceived distance.
What is perceptual constancy?
The ability to perceive objects as stable despite changes in sensory input.
Define motion perception.
The phi phenomenon illustrates how we perceive motion through sequential images.
What is the visual cliff experiment?
A laboratory device used to test depth perception in infants and young animals.
What are binocular cues?
Depth perception relies on convergence and retinal disparity.
What is a perceptual set?
A mental predisposition to perceive one thing over another, influenced by expectations.
Define prosopagnosia.
A condition where individuals cannot recognize familiar faces.
