AP Psych Unit 3

Question 1

psychophysics

Answer 1

the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli

Question 2

Absolute Threshold

Answer 2

The minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus

Question 3

Subliminal

Answer 3

Below the absolute threshold for conscious awareness

Question 4

Weber’s Law

Answer 4

different thresholds increase with magnitude of the stimulus

Question 5

Sensory (neural) adaption

Answer 5

diminished sensitivity to stimuli as result of constant stimulation

Question 6

signal detection theory

Answer 6

our thresholds vary constantly depending on emotions, distractions, motivations, expectations

Question 7

perceptual set

Answer 7

mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

Question 8

context

Answer 8

how we interpret stimuli depends on surrounds/situation

Question 9

light energy wavelength

Answer 9

hue of color

Question 10

light energy amplitude

Answer 10

intensity of color

Question 11

Cornea

Answer 11

protects eye/bends light

Question 12

pupil

Answer 12

small adjustable opening

Question 13

Iris

Answer 13

colored muscles that dilates/constricts in response to light intensity

Question 14

Lense

Answer 14

Light rays into an image on the fovea in the back of eyeball

Question 15

Retina

Answer 15

blood vessel tissue on eyeballs inner surface

Question 16

Optic nerves

Answer 16

ganglion cells axons twined together

Question 17

visual cortext

Answer 17

occipital lobe

Question 18

feature detectors

Answer 18

neurons in visual cortex that respond to specific features of a visual stimulus

Question 19

parallel processing

Answer 19

brain can carry out multiple tasks simultaneously

Question 20

Stroop effect

Answer 20

delay in perception when stimuli are “mistmatched”

Question 21

opponent process theory

Answer 21

cones complete

Question 22

Gestalt

Answer 22

german - early study of visual organization

Question 23

form perception

Answer 23

figure and background

Question 24

similarity

Answer 24

we group things that are similar

Question 25

proximity

Answer 25

how close things are to each other

Question 26

continunity

Answer 26

perceive continuous patters rather than separated ones

Question 27

closure

Answer 27

fill in gaps to create a whole object

Question 28

binocular disparity

Answer 28

brain uses both eyes to judge distance

Question 29

monocular cues

Answer 29

we can judge depth in two dimension images like photos by using only one eye

Question 30

perceptual constancy

Answer 30

enables us to see an object as unchanging

Question 31

color constancies

Answer 31

familiar objects as having consistent color even if the color is different

Question 32

shape constancies

Answer 32

we perceive familiar objects as unchanging in shape despite actual changing images they cast on our retinas

Question 33

ames room

Answer 33

1934 room designed to manipulate our size constancy

Question 34

moon illusion

Answer 34

moon seems larger on the horizon than they sky

Question 35

restored vision

Answer 35

distinguish depth, motion, figure

Question 36

sound waves

Answer 36

height, length and complexity of sound waves determines what we hear

Question 37

loudness

Answer 37

height of sound wave determines volume

Question 38

pitch

Answer 38

length of sound wave determines pitch

Question 39

frequency

Answer 39

a mix of frequencies timbre (tone)

Question 40

place theory

Answer 40

perception of pitch is associated with vibration of different portions of the cochlea

Question 41

frequency theory

Answer 41

perception or pitch is associated with the frequency of which the entire basilar membrane vibrates

Question 42

mechanoreceptors

Answer 42

sense pressure, texture, and vibrations

Question 43

thermoreceptors

Answer 43

sense temperature

Question 44

nociceptors

Answer 44

pain

Question 45

gate control theory

Answer 45

spinal cord has a "gate" that either blocks pain signals from the small nerve fibers or allows them to pass the brain

Question 46

hypnosis

Answer 46

social interaction in which one person suggests to another that certain perceptions, feelings, or behavior will occur

Question 47

social influence theory

Answer 47

people may act the role of "good hypnotic subjects" influences by hypnotist/crowd

Question 48

divided consciousness theory

Answer 48

controversial theory that hypnosis is a state of disassociation where you temporarily live in your subconscious

Question 49

taste

Answer 49

a chemical sense

Question 50

sweet

Answer 50

energy

Question 51

sour

Answer 51

toxic acid

Question 52

salty

Answer 52

sodium

Question 53

Umami

Answer 53

savoriness

Question 54

bitter

Answer 54

poisons

Question 55

olfacation

Answer 55

chemical sense (smell)

Question 56

sensory interaction

Answer 56

senses can influence each other

Question 57

embodied cognition

Answer 57

an approach to cognition that has roots in motor behavior

Question 58

bottom up processing

Answer 58

sensory receptors pick up signals for the brain to integrate and process

Question 59

top down processsing

Answer 59

perceiving the world around us by drawing from what we already know in order to interpret new information

Question 60

perception

Answer 60

brain organizes sensations

Question 61

transductions

Answer 61

converting one form of energy into another that our brain can use

Question 62

young-helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory

Answer 62

within your eye are tiny cells that can receive waves of light and translate them into blue, green or red

Question 63

kinesthesis

Answer 63

how we coordinate movements without having to constantly watch our movements

Question 64

vestibular sense

Answer 64

chambers in the ear that have hair-like receptors that send messages to the cerebellum to help us balance