Chapter 3 - sensation and perception

Question 1

sensation

Answer 1

the process by which sensory organs in the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin and other tissues receive and detect stimuli

Question 2

perception

Answer 2

the organization and interpretation of sensory stimuli by the brain

Question 3

bottom up processing

Answer 3

taking basic information about incoming sensory stimuli and processing it for further interpretation

Question 4

top down processing

Answer 4

drawing on past experiences and knowledge to understand and interpret sensory information

Question 5

transduction

Answer 5

the process of transforming stimuli into neural signals

Question 6

absolute thresholds

Answer 6

the weakest stimuli that can be detected 50% of the time

Question 7

sensory adaptation

Answer 7

the process through which sensory receptors become less sensitive to constant stimuli

Question 8

difference threshold

Answer 8

the minimum difference between two stimuli that can be noticed 50% of the time

Question 9

weber’s law

Answer 9

the law stating that each of the five senses has its own constant ratio determining difference thresholds

Question 10

signal detection theory

Answer 10

a theory explaining how internal and external factors influence our ability to detect weak signals in the environment

Question 11

wavelength

Answer 11

the distance between wave peaks or troughs

Question 12

hue

Answer 12

the color of an object determined by the wavelength of the light it reflects

Question 13

amplitude

Answer 13

the height of a wave; distance from midpoint to peak or trough

Question 14

saturation

Answer 14

color purity

Question 15

cornea

Answer 15

the clear, outer layer of the eye that shields it from damage and focuses incoming light waves

Question 16

iris

Answer 16

the muscle responsible for changing the size of the pupil

Question 17

accommodation

Answer 17

the process by which the lens changes shape in order to focus on objects near and far

Question 18

retina

Answer 18

the layer of the eye containing photoreceptor cells, which transduce light energy into neural activity

Question 19

photoreceptors

Answer 19

specialized cells in the retina that absorb light energy and turn it into electrical and chemical signals for the brain to process

Question 20

rods

Answer 20

photoreceptors that enable us to see in dim lighting; not sensitive to color, but useful for night vision

Question 21

cones

Answer 21

photoreceptors that enable us to sense color and minute details

Question 22

optic nerve

Answer 22

the bundle of axons from ganglion cells leading to the visual cortex

Question 23

blind spot

Answer 23

a hole in the visual field caused by the optic disc (where optic nerve hits retina

Question 24

dark adaptation

Answer 24

ability of the eyes to adjust to dark after exposure to bright light

Question 25

light adaptation

Answer 25

ability of the eyes to adjust to light after being in the dark

Question 26

feature detectors

Answer 26

neurons in the visual cortex specialized in detecting specific features of the visual experience such as angles lines and movements

Question 27

trichromatic theory

Answer 27

the perception of color is the result of three types of cones, each sensitive to wavelengths in the red, green, and blue spectrums

Question 28

afterimage

Answer 28

an image that appears to linger in the visual field after its stimulus or source is removed

Question 29

opponent process theory

Answer 29

perception of color derives from a special group of neurons that respond to opponent colors

Question 30

audition

Answer 30

the sense of hearing

Question 31

pitch

Answer 31

the degree to which a sound is high or low determined by the frequency of its sound wave

Question 32

frequency

Answer 32

the number of sound waves passing a given point per unit of time higher frequency is perceived as higher pitch and lower frequency is perceived as lower pitch

Question 33

cochlea

Answer 33

fluid filled snail shaped organ of the inner ear lined with basilar membrane

Question 34

place theory

Answer 34

states that pitch corresponds to the location of the vibrating hair cells along the cochlea

Question 35

frequency theory

Answer 35

states that pitch is determined by thevibrating frequency of the sound wave basilar membrane and associated neural impulses

Question 36

volley principle

Answer 36

states that the perception of the pitches between 400Hz and 4000Hz is made possible by neurons working together to fire in volleys

Question 37

olfaction

Answer 37

the sense of smell

Question 38

gustation

Answer 38

the sense of taste

Question 39

gate control theory

Answer 39

suggests that the perception of pain will either increase or decrease through the interaction of biopsychosocial factors signals are sent to open or close gates that control the neurological pathways for pain

Question 40

kinesthesia

Answer 40

sensory system that conveys information about body position and movement

Question 41

proprioceptors

Answer 41

specialized nerve endings primarily located in the muscles and joints that provide information about body location and orientation

Question 42

vestibular sense

Answer 42

the sense of balance and equilibrium

Question 43

illusion

Answer 43

a perception that is inconsistent with sensory data

Question 44

gestalt

Answer 44

the natural tendency for the brain to organize stimuli into a whole, rather than perceiving the parts and pieces

Question 45

figure-ground

Answer 45

a central principle of gestalt psychology involving the shifting of focus; as attention is focused on one object all other features drop or recede into the background

Question 46

depth perception

Answer 46

the ability to perceive three dimensional objects and distances

Question 47

binocular cues

Answer 47

information gathered from both eyes to help judge depth and distance

Question 48

convergences

Answer 48

a binocular cue used to judge distance and depth based on the tension of the muscles that direct where the eyes are focusing

Question 49

retinal disparity

Answer 49

a binocular cue that uses the difference between the images the two eyes see to determine the distance of objects

Question 50

monocular cues

Answer 50

depth and distance cues that require the use of only one eye

Question 51

perceptual constancy

Answer 51

the tendency to perceive objects in our environment as stable in terms of shape size and color regardless of changes in the sensory data received

Question 52

shape constancy

Answer 52

an object is perceived as maintaining its shape regardless of the image projected on the retina

Question 53

size constancy

Answer 53

an object is perceived as maintaining its size regardless of the images projected on the retina

Question 54

color constancy

Answer 54

objects are perceived as maintaining their color even with changing sensory data

Question 55

perceptual set

Answer 55

the tendency to perceive stimuli in a specific manner based on past experiences and expectations

Question 56

extrasensory perception

Answer 56

the purported ability to obtain information about the world without any sensory stimuli

Question 57

parapsychology

Answer 57

the study of extrasensory perception