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AP Psychology > Chapter 4 > Flashcards

Chapter 4 Flashcards

0
Q

perception

A

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

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1
Q

Sensation

A

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

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2
Q

bottom-up processing

A

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

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3
Q

top-down processing

A

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

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4
Q

selective attention

A

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

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5
Q

inattentional blindness

A

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

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6
Q

change blindness

A

failing to notice changes in the environment

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7
Q

psychophysics

A

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

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8
Q

absolute threshold

A

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

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9
Q

signal detection theory

A

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation. Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person’s experence, expectations, motivation, and alertness.

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10
Q

subliminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

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11
Q

priming

A

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response

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12
Q

difference threshold

A

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. This is just noticeable difference.

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13
Q

Weber’s Law

A

the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant percentage, not amount

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14
Q

sensory adaptation

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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15
Q

transduction

A

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.

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16
Q

wavelength

A

the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary

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17
Q

hue

A

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light

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18
Q

intensity

A

the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude

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19
Q

pupil

A

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye

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20
Q

iris

A

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil

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21
Q

lens

A

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

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22
Q

retina

A

the light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin processing visual information

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23
Q

accomodation

A

the process by which the lens changes shape

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24
Q

rods

A

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

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25
Q

cones

A

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations

26
Q

optic nerve

A

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

27
Q

blind spot

A

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, no receptor cells there

28
Q

fovea

A

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

29
Q

feature detectors

A

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

30
Q

parallel processing

A

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision.

31
Q

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory

A

the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors, for red, green and blue, which can produce any color when combined

32
Q

opponent processing theory

A

the theory that opposing retinal processes enable color vision. Some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red, others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green.

33
Q

audition

A

the sense or act of hearing

34
Q

frequency

A

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

35
Q

pitch

A

a tone’s experienced highness or lowness, depends on frequency

36
Q

middle ear

A

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea, containing the hammer anvil and stirrup that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea’s oval window

37
Q

cochlea

A

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

38
Q

inner ear

A

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

39
Q

place theory

A

in hering, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea’s membrane is stimulated

40
Q

frequency theory

A

in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

41
Q

conduction hearing loss

A

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

42
Q

sensorineural hearing loss

A

hearing loss cased by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves

43
Q

cochlear implant

A

a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea

44
Q

kinesthesis

A

the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

45
Q

vestibular sense

A

the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

46
Q

gate-control theory

A

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 fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or from information coming from the brain

47
Q

sensory interaction

A

the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste

48
Q

gestalt

A

an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.

49
Q

figure-ground

A

the organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surroundings

50
Q

grouping

A

the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

51
Q

depth perception

A

the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance

52
Q

visual cliff

A

a laboratory device for testing depth perception of animals and babies

53
Q

binocular cues

A

depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

54
Q

retinal disparity

A

a binocular cue for perceiving depth. By comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance

55
Q

monocular cues

A

depth cues such as interposition and linear perspective, available in either eye alone

56
Q

phi phenomenon

A

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession.

57
Q

perceptual constancy

A

perceiving objects as unchanging even as illumination and retinal images change

58
Q

color constancy

A

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

59
Q

perceptual adaptation

A

in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

60
Q

perceptual set

A

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

61
Q

extrasensory perception

A

the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition

62
Q

parasychology

A

the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis

AP Psychology (4 decks)

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