Chapter 1: Introduction to Perception Flashcards

1
Q

Perception

A

Conscious experience that results from stimulation of the senses

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2
Q

Perceptual Process (Super basic, figure 1.1)

A

1) Stimulus in the environment
2) Light is reflected and focussed
3) Receptor Processes
4) Neural Processing
5) Perception
6) Recognition
7) Action

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3
Q

Sensation

A

Often identified as involving simple “elementary: processes that occur right at the beginning of a sensory system (detecting elementary properties of a stimulus)
-rather rare to use / see (taste receptors)

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4
Q

Perception

A

Identified with complex processes that involve higher-order mechanisms such as interpretation and memory that involve activity in the brain (Involves higher brain functions involved in interpreting events and objects)
-extremely common to see

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5
Q

Perceptual Process Step 1

A
Distal Stimulus (The object we observe, i.e a tree)
-The persons perception of the tree is based on light reflected from the tree and reaching the visual receptors
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6
Q

Principle of transformation

A

States that stimuli and responses created by stimuli are transformed, or changed, between the distal stimulus and perception

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7
Q

Proximal Stimulus (Step 2)

A

The image on the retina (if the eye’s optics -the way the light enters the eye through the cornea and lens- are not working right, the image may be blurry

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8
Q

Principle of representation

A

States that everything a person perceives is based not on direct contact with stimuli but on representation of stimuli that are formed on the receptors and the resulting activity in the person’s nervous system

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9
Q

Sensory receptors (Step 3 between slides 9-13)

A

Cells specialized to respond to environmental energy, with each sensory system receptors specialized to respond to a specific type of energy

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10
Q

When visual receptors that line the back of the eye receive the light reflected from the tree, 2 things happen

A

1) they transform the environmental energy into electrical energy
2) the shape perception by the way they respond to different properties of stimuli

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11
Q

Visual receptors transform light energy into electrical energy because they contain a light-sensitive chemical called?

A

Visual pigament

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12
Q

Transduction

A

The transformation of one from of energy to another form

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13
Q

Visual pigment shape perception in two ways

A

1) The ability to see dim light depends on having a high concentration of light sensitive pigment in the receptors
2) There are different types of pigments, which respond best to light in different parts of the visible spectrum

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14
Q

Interconnected network of neurons that

A

1) Transmit signals from the receptors, through the retina, to the brain, and then within the brain
2) change (or process) these signals as they are transmitted

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15
Q

Step 4

A

Neural processing involves interactions between the electrical signals travelling in networks of neurons early in the system, in the retina; later, on the pathway to the brain, an finally, within the brain

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16
Q

Neural processing

A

The changes in these signals that occur as they are transmitted through this maze of neurons

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17
Q

Electrical signals for each sense arrive at the primary recieving are for that sense in the ___ of the brain

A

Cerebral cortex

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18
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

A 2mm thick layer that contains the machinery for creating perceptions, as well as other functions such as language, memory, and thinking

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19
Q

Occipital Lobe

A

The primary receiving area for vision occupies most of the occipital lobe

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20
Q

Temporal Lobe

A

The primary receiving area for hearing

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21
Q

Parietal lobe

A

The primary receiving area for skin senses-touch, temperature, and pain

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22
Q

Frontal lobe

A

Receives signals from all of the senses, and plays an important role in perceptions that involve the coordination of information received through two or more senses

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23
Q

Behavioural responses (Steps 5-7) (Cards 23-

A

After all that reflection, focussing, transduction, transmission, and processing, we reach the behavioural responses
This step is the most miraculous as electrical signals (step 4) are transformed into conscious experience. The person perceives the tree (Step 5) and recognizes it (step 6)

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24
Q

Perception in this case

A

conscious awareness of the tree (I see something)

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25
Q

Recognition in this case

A

Placing an object into category, such as “tree” (It is an oak tree)

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26
Q

Visual form agnosia

A

an inability to recognize objects

27
Q

Action (step 7)

A

Involves motor activities (walk towards the tree)

28
Q

Knowledge

A

Any information that the perceiver brings to a situation

29
Q

Rat-man demonstration

A

Shows how recently acquired knowledge can influence perception

30
Q

Bottom-up processing (data based processing)

A

Processing that is based on the stimuli reaching the receptors (this is the starting point as perception involves the activation of the receptors)

31
Q

Top -down Processing (knowledge based processing)

A

Processing based on knowledge (When a women labels what she is seeing as a moth she accessing what she has learned about moths)

32
Q

3 Relationships in the Perceptual Process

A

Relationship A: The stimulus-perception relationship
Relationship B: The stimulus-physiological relationship
Relationship C: The physiology-perception relationship

33
Q

Oblique effect

A

People see vertical or horizontal lines better than lines orientated obliquely (any orientation other than vertical or horizontal) (Ferrets brains response better to straight and sideways line opposed to diagonal)

34
Q

Stimulus-perception relationship

A

Relates stimuli to behavioural responses

35
Q

Grating acuity

A

The smallest width of lines that a subject can detect

36
Q

The stimulus-physiological relationship

A

Relationship between stimuli and physiological

37
Q

Physiology-perception relationship

A

relates physiological responses and behavioural responses (subjects were able to see 90 degree and 0 degree lines at lower brightness)

38
Q

Cognitive influence on perception

A

Researchers study cognitive influences by measuring how knowledge and other factors, such as memories and expectations, affect all of the relationships

39
Q

Thresholds

A

Measure the limits of sensory systems, they are measure of minimums- the smallest line width can be detected, the smallest amount of of sound energy we can hear, smallest concentration of a chemical we can taste or smell

40
Q

Gustuv Fechner (1801-1887)

A

Proposed the idea that the mind could be studied by measuring the relationship between changes in the physical stimulation (the body part of the relationship) and a person’s experience (the mind part)
E.G. Turn up brightness of light, increase perception

41
Q

Psychophysics

A

The study of the relation between mental (psycho) and physical (physics)

42
Q

Method of limits

A

Experimenter presents stimuli in either ascending order (intensity is increased) or descending order (intensity is decreased) (average results)

43
Q

Absolute threshold

A

Smallest stimulus level that can just be detected

44
Q

Difference Threshold

A

Smallest different between two stimuli that enables us to tell the difference between them

45
Q

Dark adaption curve

A

Shows how the threshold becomes smaller as the person spends more time in the dark

46
Q

What is the perceptual magnitude of a stimulus?

A

Technique: Magnitude Estimation

testing the difference between overpowering and faint, or loud and whisper

47
Q

Magnitude Estimation Example

A

Showing someone a light of moderate intensity and calling it a 10. Now, changing that light brightness and asking for a new number. The number for “brightness’ is the perceived magnitude of the stimulus

48
Q

What is the identity of the stimulus?

A

Technique: Recognition Testing (the process of categorizing)

49
Q

How quickly can I react to it

A

Technique: Reaction Time

50
Q

Reaction time

A

The time between presentation of a stimulus and the person’s reaction to it

51
Q

How can I demonstrate what is out there?

A

Technique: Phenomenological report

52
Q

Phenomenological report

A

Describing what is out there (Same or different colours, size, pattern of lights, etc)

53
Q

How can i interact with it?

A

Technique: Physical tasks and judgement

54
Q

Physical vs perceptual

A

a) shining a light in someone eye at brightness 10
b) shining the light of 2 bulbs in someones eye, totalling 20
Both a and b are physical right now, to figure out the perception we need to use a test such as the Magnitude estimation

55
Q

indirect Approach / constructive

A

Nervous system processes perceptions, makes them up. When the nervous system makes up the wrong thing that when we get illusions

56
Q

Method of adjustment

A

The subject adjusts the stimulus intensity continuously until they can barely detect the stimulus (turn a knob until you cant hear sound)

57
Q

Method of constant stimuli

A

Experimenter presents 5-9 stimuli with different intensities in a random order (person says yes or no if they can hear, see, etc the stimuli) (most accurate test to do given the quantity of tests and the randomness)

58
Q

Response compression

A

The increase in perceived magnitude is smaller than the increase in stimulus intensity

59
Q

Response expansion

A

As intensity is increased, perceptual magnitude increases more then intensity

60
Q

Weber fraction

A

The ratio standard for lifting weights is 0.02

61
Q

Weber law

A

The fact that the weber fraction remains the same as the standard is changed

62
Q

Response criterion

A

A way to describe the difference between two people

63
Q

False alarm

A

Person has detected a signal when one was not sent