chap 8 Flashcards
Sensation
occurs when a stimulus activates a receptor
Perception
the organization of sensory information into meaningful experiences
Psychophysics
the study of the relationships between sensory experiences and the physical stimuli that cause them
absolute threshold
the weakest amount of a stimulus that a person can detect half the time
difference threshold
the smallest change in a physical stimulus that can be detected half the time
signal-detection theory
the summary of people’s tendencies to make correct judgments in detecting the presence of stimuli
pupil
the opening in the iris that regulates the amount of light entering the eye
lens
a flexible, elastic, transparent structure in the eye that changes its shape to focus light on the retina
retina
the innermost coating of the back of the eye, containing the light-sensitive receptor cells
occipital nerve
the nerve that carries impulses from the retina to the brain
binocular fusion
the process of combining the images received from the two eyes into a single, fused image
retinal disparity
the differences between the images stimulating each eye
Somesthesis
the group of senses that includes balance, touch, and body positioning
vestibular system
three semicircular canals that provide the sense of balance, located in the inner ear and connected to the brain by a nerve
Kinesthesis
the sense of movement and body position
