5.01 Intro to sensation

Question 1

occurs when special receptors in the sense organs are activated

Answer 1

sensation

Question 2

anything in the environment that is detected by the senses

Answer 2

stimulus

Question 3

the process by which outside stimuli are turned into neural signals in the brain

Answer 3

transduction

Question 4

special neurons that are stimulated by various kinds of energy

Answer 4

sensory

Question 5

sense receptors transduce physical information into __ information

Answer 5

electrical

Question 6

(1795-1878) did studies to determine the smallest difference between two weights that could be detected

Answer 6

Ernst Weber

Question 7

the smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected half of the time

Answer 7

just noticeable difference (jnd)

Question 8

Weber’s law

Answer 8

whatever the difference between two stimuli might be, it is always constant, meaning it should increase in consistent increments

Question 9

(1801-1887) studied the absolute threshold

Answer 9

Gustav Fechner

Question 10

the lowest level of stimulation that a person can concsiously detect 50% of the time that the stimulus is present

Answer 10

absolute threshold

Question 11

stimuli presented below the level of conscious awareness; just strong enough to activate sense receptors, but not enough for people to be consciously aware of them

Answer 11

subliminal

Question 12

occurs when our sensory receptors respond to a stimulus, but the lower centers of the brain do not send the signals to the cortex

Answer 12

habituation

Question 13

occurs when receptor cells become less responsive to an unchanging stimulus, and they do not send signals to the brain

Answer 13

sensory adaptation

Question 14

constant movement of the eyes; tiny little vibrations that people do not notice consciously; they prevent sensory adaptation to visual stimuli

Answer 14

microsaccades or saccadic movements