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General Psychology > Chapter 3 - sensation and perception > Flashcards

Chapter 3 - sensation and perception Flashcards

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1
Q

sensation

A

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

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2
Q

perception

A

the organization and interpretation of sensory stimuli by the brain

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3
Q

bottom up processing

A

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

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4
Q

top down processing

A

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

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5
Q

transduction

A

the process of transforming stimuli into neural signals

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6
Q

absolute thresholds

A

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

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7
Q

sensory adaptation

A

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

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8
Q

difference threshold

A

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

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9
Q

weber’s law

A

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

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10
Q

signal detection theory

A

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

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11
Q

wavelength

A

the distance between wave peaks or troughs

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12
Q

hue

A

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

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13
Q

amplitude

A

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

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14
Q

saturation

A

color purity

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15
Q

cornea

A

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

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16
Q

iris

A

the muscle responsible for changing the size of the pupil

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17
Q

accommodation

A

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

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18
Q

retina

A

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

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19
Q

photoreceptors

A

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

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20
Q

rods

A

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

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21
Q

cones

A

photoreceptors that enable us to sense color and minute details

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22
Q

optic nerve

A

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

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23
Q

blind spot

A

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

24
Q

dark adaptation

A

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

25
Q

light adaptation

A

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

26
Q

feature detectors

A

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

27
Q

trichromatic theory

A

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

28
Q

afterimage

A

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

29
Q

opponent process theory

A

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

30
Q

audition

A

the sense of hearing

31
Q

pitch

A

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

32
Q

frequency

A

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

33
Q

cochlea

A

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

34
Q

place theory

A

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

35
Q

frequency theory

A

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

36
Q

volley principle

A

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

37
Q

olfaction

A

the sense of smell

38
Q

gustation

A

the sense of taste

39
Q

gate control theory

A

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

40
Q

kinesthesia

A

sensory system that conveys information about body position and movement

41
Q

proprioceptors

A

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

42
Q

vestibular sense

A

the sense of balance and equilibrium

43
Q

illusion

A

a perception that is inconsistent with sensory data

44
Q

gestalt

A

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

45
Q

figure-ground

A

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

46
Q

depth perception

A

the ability to perceive three dimensional objects and distances

47
Q

binocular cues

A

information gathered from both eyes to help judge depth and distance

48
Q

convergences

A

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

49
Q

retinal disparity

A

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

50
Q

monocular cues

A

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

51
Q

perceptual constancy

A

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

52
Q

shape constancy

A

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

53
Q

size constancy

A

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

54
Q

color constancy

A

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

55
Q

perceptual set

A

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

56
Q

extrasensory perception

A

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

57
Q

parapsychology

A

the study of extrasensory perception

General Psychology (7 decks)

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