Ch. 5

Question 1

Messages from senses that are transformed into neural impulses. Thalamus

Answer 1

Transduction

Question 2

Decreasing responsiveness to stimuli due to constant stimulation

Answer 2

Sensory adaptation

Question 3

Our perception of sensations is partially due to how focused we are on them

Answer 3

Sensory habituation

Question 4

When in a loud room, someone across the room calls your name and your attention switches to across the room

Answer 4

Cocktail Party phenomenon

Question 5

Activation of our senses

Answer 5

Sensation

Question 6

The process of understanding sensations

Answer 6

Perception

Question 7

Vision, hearing, touch. Gathers senses in the form of light, sound waves, and pressure

Answer 7

Energy senses

Question 8

Gathers senses in the form of chemicals in order to interpret. Taste, smell

Answer 8

Chemical senses

Question 9

The most dominant sense. Gathers information about environment through reflections, light intensity, and light wavelength

Answer 9

Vision

Question 10

Protective eye covering, helps focus light

Answer 10

Cornea

Question 11

Shutter of a camera, dilates to let more lice in by contacting and vice versa (Iris)

Answer 11

Pupil

Question 12

A curved/flexible part of the eye that contracts in order to focus. Accommodation

Answer 12

Lens

Question 13

Screen on the back of the eye, has specialized neurons activated by wavelengths

Answer 13

Retina

Question 14

Any various hypothetical or actual mechanisms within the human information- processings system that respond selectively to specific distinguishing features

Answer 14

Feature Detectors

Question 15

The second cranial nerve, which carries axons of retinal ganglion cells and extends from the retina to the optic chiasm

Answer 15

Optic Nerve

Question 16

The visual processing center of the brain

Answer 16

Occipital Lobe

Question 17

The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible and can be detected by the human eye

Answer 17

Visible Light

Question 18

Cells that detect color and cells that are activated in monochrome

Answer 18

Cones vs. Rods

Question 19

The center of the retina, an indentation. Contains the highest concentration of cones

Answer 19

Fovea

Question 20

The spot where the optic nerve leaves the retina, has no rods/cones

Answer 20

Blind spot

Question 21

Hypothesis that we have 3 types of cones with RGB and are activated in different combinations to produce all colors

Answer 21

Trichromatic theory

Question 22

The inability to discriminate between colors and to perceive select color hues

Answer 22

Color blindness

Question 23

If you stare at a color for a long time and then look at a white, blank space- who will see an image of said color

Answer 23

Afterimage

Question 24

Sensory receptors arranged in the retina come in pairs. On stimulated its pair (complimentary colors) is inhibited (explains color-blindness and afterimages)

Answer 24

Opponent-process theory

Question 25

The ability of an organism to sense sound and process/interpret the sensations to gain information about the source/nature of the sound

Answer 25

Hearing

Question 26

Created by vibrations, vibrations travel through the air, into the ears and go through transduction

Answer 26

Sound Waves

Question 27

The height of the wave and determines loudness of a sound (decibels)

Answer 27

Amplitude

Question 28

The length of the waves and determines pitch (Hz)

Answer 28

Frequency

Question 29

A structure shaped like a snails shell and filled with fluid. Fluid moves in reaction to sound waves, moving hair cells and transduction occurs

Answer 29

Cochlea

Question 30

Description of the hearing process explains how we react/interpret pitches or tones

Answer 30

Pitch Theories

Question 31

The hair cells I the cochlea respond to different frequencies of sound based on where they are located in cochlea. Explains high pitches

Answer 31

Place Theory

Question 32

Lower tones are sensed by the rate at which the cells fire. Cells fire at different rates in cochlea. Explain low pitches

Answer 32

Frequency theory

Question 33

Occurs when something goes wrong with the system of conducting sound

Answer 33

Conduction deafness

Question 34

Occurs when the hair cells in the cochlea are damaged

Answer 34

Nerve deafness

Question 35

The ability to perceive an object.stimulus that come into contact with the surface of the skin. Temp/intensity

Answer 35

Touch

Question 36

Some pain messages are higher priority than others, therefore its hypothesized that the spinal cord "opens or closes the gate" to the brain depending on its intensity

Answer 36

Gate-control theory

Question 37

The sense devoted to the detection of molecules dissolved in liquids or the sensory experience resulting from perception of gustatory qualities

Answer 37

Taste

Question 38

The sense that enables an organism to detect the odors of volatile substances

Answer 38

Smell

Question 39

Informs us about how our body is oriented in space

Answer 39

Vestibular sense

Question 40

Feedback about eh position and orientation of specific body parts. Information about limbs from joints/receptors

Answer 40

Kinesthetic sense

Question 41

The minimal amount of stimulus we can detect 50% of the time

Answer 41

Absolute threshold

Question 42

Signal below the absolute threshold of our conscious awareness

Answer 42

Subliminal Messages

Question 43

The smallest amount of change needed in a stimulus before we detect change

Answer 43

Difference Threshold

Question 44

The change needed is proportional to the original intensity of the stimulus. More intense = more it will need to change before noticed

Answer 44

Weber's law

Question 45

Investigates the effects of the distractions/interferences we experiences while perceiving the world

Answer 45

Signal detection theory

Question 46

We perceive by filling in gaps, perception that is driven by the context in which something is placed

Answer 46

Top-Down processing

Question 47

A predisposition to perceiving something a certain way

Answer 47

Perceptual set

Question 48

When the stimulus itself influences your perception because you have no other context

Answer 48

Bottom-up Processing

Question 49

Perceive images as group

Answer 49

Gestalt Rules

Question 50

Objects that are close together are more likely o be perceived as belonging in the same group

Answer 50

Proximity

Question 51

Objects that are similar in appearance are more likely to be perceived as in the same group

Answer 51

Similarity

Question 52

Objects that are arranged in a continuous line/curve are more likely to be perceived as in the same group

Answer 52

Continuity

Question 53

Similar to top-down, objects that make-up a recognizable image are more likely to be perceived to be in the same group

Answer 53

Closure

Question 54

Our ability to maintain a constant perception of an object despite changes

Answer 54

Constancy

Question 55

Objects closer to out eyes will produce bigger images on our retinas but distance is accounted for in size estimations

Answer 55

Size constancy

Question 56

Objects viewed at different angles will produce different shapes on out retinas, but we know the shape is constant

Answer 56

Shape constancy

Question 57

We perceive objects as being a constant color even as light reflecting off object changes

Answer 57

Brightness constancy

Question 58

An umbrella term that covers al visual cues that allows us to comprehend visual data-depth discriminations

Answer 58

Depth cues