Chapter 3 Sensation and Perception

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

the process of detecting a physical stimulus, such as light, sound, heat, or pressure.

Question 2

Sensation

Answer 2

the process of detecting a physical stimulus, such as light, sound, heat, or pressure

Question 3

Sensory Receptors

Answer 3

specialized cells unique to each sense organ respond to z particular form of stimulation

Question 4

Transduction

Answer 4

the process by which a form of physical energy is converted into a coded neural signal that can be processed by the nervous system

Question 5

Perception

Answer 5

the process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensation
(We make sense of the “raw data”)

Question 6

Perception Part 2

Answer 6

although there is no exact line between sensation and perception, sensation emphasizes the sensory receptors whereas perception is mostly a function of the brain

Question 7

Explain the concepts of threshold and adaptation

Answer 7

for sensation to occur, sensory receptors must be specialized to detect infrared light, it can only respond to energy in the visible spectrum (Ex, the human eye cannot detect infrared light, it can only respond to energy in the visible spectrum

Question 8

Sensation

Answer 8

for sensation ti occur, the stimulus must also be strong enough to register
one of the major challenges in studying the senses is to study thresholds.
-A threshold is the point at which a stimulus is strong enough to be detected because it activates a sensory receptor cell

Question 9

Absolute Threshold

Answer 9

smallest strength of a stimulus that can be detected half of the time

Question 10

Absolute threshold example

Answer 10

the softest sound you can hear, the small concentration of sugar that can be tasted in your cup of coffee

Question 11

Difference threshold

Answer 11

(just noticeable difference) smallest difference that can be detected half of the time

Question 12

Difference threshold example

Answer 12

how much lighter in weight can a company make a chocolate bar before you can notice it

Question 13

Weber’s Law

Answer 13

for each sense, the size of a just noticeable difference is a constant proportion of the size of the initial stimulus

Question 14

Weber’s Law part 2

Answer 14

this is important because it shows that our experience of sensation is relative. it depends on factors beyond just the objective characteristics of the physical stimulus

Question 15

Sensory adaptation

Answer 15

the decline in sensitivity to a constant stimulus

Question 16

Describe the visible spectrum and explain the functions of the key structures of the eye

Answer 16

visible light is a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum
electromagnetic energy travels in waves
different forms of electromagnetic energy differ in wavelength (the distance from one wave peak to another)

Question 17

Cornea

Answer 17

a clear membrane covering the front of the eye that hepls gather and direct incoming light.

Question 18

Pupil

Answer 18

the black opening in the middle of the eye

Question 19

lens

Answer 19

a transparent structure located behind the pupil that actively focuses, or bends, light as it enters the eye

Question 20

accommodation

Answer 20

process in which the kens thins or thickens to focus incoming light so that it falls on the retina

Question 21

Retina

Answer 21

a thin, light-sensitive membrane located at the back of the eye that contains the sensory receptors for light

Question 22

Rods

Answer 22

more sensitive to light than cones and are primarily responsible for peripheral vision and night vision
most prevalent in the periphery of the retina

Question 23

cones

Answer 23

are responsible for colour vision, for vision in bright light, and sharpest focus (visual acuity)

Question 24

fovea

Answer 24

a small area in the center of the retina composed entirely of cones. it has the area of sharpest focus

Question 25

optic disc

Answer 25

the point at which the fibers that make up the optic nerve leave the back of the eye and project through the brain because there are no photoreceptors in the optic disc, there is a tiny hole, or blindspot, in your field of vision

Question 26

Optic Chiasm

Answer 26

after leaving the backs of the eyes, the left and right optic nerves meet here, the fibers of each optic nerve split in 2 with one set of axons crossing over to the opposite side of the brain and the other set continuing along the same side of the brain.

Question 27

Thalmus

Answer 27

from the optic chiasm, most of the optic nerve axons project to the thalamus, a smaller number of axons first detour to areas in the midbrain

Question 28

Visual Cortex

Answer 28

from the thalamus, the signals are sent to the visual cortex, where they are decoded and interpreted

Question 29

Audition

Answer 29

the sense of hearing

Question 30

Loudness

Answer 30

determined by the intensity, or amplitude, of a sound wave and is measured in two units called decibels.

Question 31

Pitch

Answer 31

the relative "highness" or "lowness" of a sound, is determined by the frequency of a sound wave, which is the rate of vibration, or the number of sound waves per second

Question 32

Timbre

Answer 32

the distinctive quality of a sound, is determined by the complexity of the sound wave

Question 33

Outer Ear

Answer 33

includes the pinna, the ear canal, and the eardrum | collects sound waves

Question 34

Pinna

Answer 34

catches sound waves and funnels them into the ear canal

Question 35

Eardrum

Answer 35

separates the outer ear from the middle ear, is a tightly stretched membrane at the end of the ear canal that vibrates when hit by sound waves

Question 36

Middle ear

Answer 36

consists of three small bones: the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. each bone's vibrations set the next bone in motion

Question 37

Middle ear

Answer 37

the middle ear amplifies the vibration to the oval window

Question 38

Oval window

Answer 38

a membrane separating the middle ear from the inner ear

Question 39

Inner ear

Answer 39

consists of the cochlea and the semicircular canals

Question 40

Cochlea

Answer 40

a fluid-filled tube, coiled in a spiral. the fluid ripples in response to vibrations from the oval window

Question 41

Cochlea part 2

Answer 41

the rippling fluid transmits the vibrations to the basilar membrane which is embedded with hair cells, the sensory receptors for sound

Question 42

Transduction

Answer 42

as the hair cells bend. they stimulate the cells of the auditory nerve, which carries the neural information to the thalamus and the auditory cortex in the brain

Answer 43

hair cells have tiny, projecting fibers that can be damaged, causing nerve deafness. Unlike conduction deafness, this cannot be helped by a hearing aid sometimes nerve deafness can be treated with a cochlear implant. this device converts sound into electrical impulses that directly stimulate the auditory nerve

Question 44

Olfaction

Answer 44

the technical name for the sense of smell

Question 45

Anosmia

Answer 45

refers to the loss of this sense

Question 46

Gustation

Answer 46

the technical name for the sense of taste

Question 47

olfaction part 2

Answer 47

molecules in the air are inhaled. they encounter millions of olfactory receptor cells located high in the nasal cavity. odor receptors are present on hair-like fibers of the olfactory neurons

Question 48

olfaction part 3

Answer 48

each odor receptor seems to be specialized to respond to molecules of a different chemical structure. a neural message is created, which travels along the cells axon. bundles of these axons make up the olfactory nerves. the brain identifies odors by interpreting the pattern of receptors that are stimulated

Question 49

olfaction part 4

Answer 49

the olfactory nerves directly connect to the olfactory bulb in the brain. axons from the olfactory bulb form the olfactory tract, which projects to different brain areas, including the temporal lobes and structures in the limbic system