Chapter 3 terms

Question 1

the stimulation of sensory receptors and the transmission of sensory info to the central nervous system

Answer 1

sensation

Question 2

the process by which sensations are organized into an inner representation of the world

Answer 2

percetpion

Question 3

the minimal amount of energy that can produce a sensation

Answer 3

absolute threshold

Question 4

the highness or lowness of a sound, as determined by the frequency of the sound waves

Answer 4

pitch

Question 5

sensory stimulation below a person’s absolute threshold for conscious perception

Answer 5

subliminal stimulation

Question 6

the minimal difference in intensity required between 2 sources of energy so that they will be perceived as being different`

Answer 6

difference threshold

Question 7

the fraction of the intensity by which a source of physical energy must be increased or decreased so that a difference in intensity will be perceived

Answer 7

Weber’s constant

Question 8

the minimal amount by which a source of energy must be increased or decreased so that a difference will be perceived

Answer 8

just noticeable difference (jnd)

Question 9

the view that the perception of sensory stimuli involves the interaction of physical, biological, and psychological factors

Answer 9

signal-detection theory

Question 10

neurons in the sensory cortex that fire in response to specific features of sensory info such as lines or edges of objects

Answer 10

feature detectors

Question 11

the processes by which organisms become more sensitive to stimuli that are low in magnitude and less sensitive to stimuli that are constant or ongoing in magnitude

Answer 11

sensory adaptation

Question 12

the type of sensory adaptation in which we become less sensitive to constant stimuli

Answer 12

desensitization

Question 13

the type of sensory adaptation in which we become more sensitive to stimuli that are low in magnitude

Answer 13

sensitization

Question 14

the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that stimulates the eye and produces visual sensations

Answer 14

visible light

Question 15

the color of light, as determined by its wavelength

Answer 15

hue

Question 16

transparent tissue forming the outer surface of the eyeball

Answer 16

cornea

Question 17

a muscular membrane whose dilation regulates the amount of light that enters the eye

Answer 17

iris

Question 18

the black-looking opening in the center of the iris, through which light enters the eye

Answer 18

pupil

Question 19

a transparent body behind the iris that focuses an image on the retina

Answer 19

lens

Question 20

the area of the inner surface of the eye that contains rods and ones

Answer 20

retina

Question 21

cells that respond to light

Answer 21

photoreceptors

Question 22

neurons that conduct neural impulses from rods and cones to ganglion cells

Answer 22

bipolar cells

Question 23

neurons whose axons form the optic nerve

Answer 23

ganglion cells

Question 24

the nerve that transmits sensory info from the eye to brain

Answer 24

optic nerve

Question 25

photoreceptors that are sensitive only to the intensity of light

Answer 25

rods

Question 26

photoreceptors that transmit sensations of color

Answer 26

cones

Question 27

an area near the center of the retina that is dense with cones and where vision is consequently most acute

Answer 27

fovea

Question 28

the area of the retina where axons from ganglion cells meet to form that optic nerve

Answer 28

blind spot

Question 29

sharpness of vision

Answer 29

visual acuity

Question 30

a condition characterized by brittleness of the lens

Answer 30

presbyopia

Question 31

the process of adjusting to conditions of lower lighting by increasing the sensitivity of rods and cones

Answer 31

dark adaptation

Question 32

descriptive of colors of the spectrum that when combined produce white or nearly white light

Answer 32

complementary

Question 33

the lingering visual impression made by a stimulus that has been removed

Answer 33

afterimage

Question 34

the theory that color vision is made possible by three types of cones, some of which respond to red light, some to green, and some to blue

Answer 34

trichromatic theory

Question 35

the theory that color vision is made possible by three types of cones, some of which respond to red or green light, some to blue or yellow, and some to the intensity of light

Answer 35

opponent-process theory

Question 36

a person with normal color vision

Answer 36

trichromat

Question 37

a person who is sensitive to black and white only and hence color-blind

Answer 37

monochromat

Question 38

a person who is sensitive to clack-white and either red-green or blue-yellow and hence is partially color-blind

Answer 38

dichromat

Question 39

the tendency to perceive a broken figure as being complete of whole

Answer 39

closure

Question 40

the tendency to integrate perceptual elements into meaningful patterns

Answer 40

perceptual organization

Question 41

the perceptual tendency to group together objects that are near one another

Answer 41

proximity

Question 42

the perceptual tendency to group together objects that are similar in appearance

Answer 42

similarity

Question 43

the tendency to perceive a series of points or lines as having unity

Answer 43

continuity

Question 44

the tendency to perceive elements that move together as belonging together

Answer 44

common fate

Question 45

the use of contextual info or knowledge of a pattern in order to organize parts of the pattern

Answer 45

top-down processing

Question 46

the organization of the parts of a pattern to recognize, or form an image of, the pattern they compose

Answer 46

bottom-up processing

Question 47

sensations that give rise to misperceptions

Answer 47

illusions

Question 48

a visual illusion in which the perception of motion is generated by a series of stationary images that are presented in rapid succession

Answer 48

stroboscopic motion

Question 49

stimuli suggestive of depth that can be perceived with only one eye

Answer 49

monocular cues

Question 50

a monocular cue for depth based on the perception that closer objects appear to have rougher (more detailed) surfaces

Answer 50

texture gradient

Question 51

a monocular cue for depth based on the convergence of parallel lines as they recede into the distance

Answer 51

perspective

Question 52

a monocular cue for depth based on the perception that nearby objects appear to move more rapidly in relation to our own motion

Answer 52

motion parallax

Question 53

stimuli suggestive of depth that involve simultaneous perception by both eyes

Answer 53

binocular cues

Question 54

a binocular cue for depth based on the difference in the image cast by an object on the retinas of the eyes as the object moves closer or farther away

Answer 54

retinal disparity

Question 55

a binocular cue for depth based on the inward movement of the eyes as they attempt to focus on an object that is drawing nearer

Answer 55

convergence

Question 56

the tendency to perceive an object as being the same size even as the size of its retinal image changes according to the object's distance

Answer 56

size constancy

Question 57

the tendency to perceive an object as being the same color even though lighting conditions change its appearance

Answer 57

color constancy

Question 58

the tendency to perceive an object as being just as bright even though lighting conditions change its intensity

Answer 58

brightness constancy

Question 59

the tendency to perceive an object as being the same shape although the retinal image varies in shape as it rotates

Answer 59

shape constancy

Question 60

a unit expressing the frequency of sound waves.

Answer 60

hertz

Question 61

a unit expressing the loudness of a sound

Answer 61

decibels

Question 62

the inner ear; the bony tube that contains the basilar membrane and the organ of Corti

Answer 62

cochlea

Question 63

a membrane that lies coiled within the cochlea

Answer 63

basilar membrane

Question 64

the receptor for hearing that lies on the basilar membrane in the cochlea

Answer 64

organ of Corti

Question 65

the axon bundle that transmits neural impulses from the organ of Corti to the brain

Answer 65

auditory nerve

Question 66

the theory that the pitch of a sound is determined by the section of the basilar membrane that vibrates in response to the sound

Answer 66

place theory

Question 67

the theory that the pitch of a sound is reflected in the frequency of the neural impulses that are generated in response to the sound

Answer 67

frequency theory

Question 68

a complex quality of food, and other substances that is based on their odor, texture, and temp as well their taste

Answer 68

flavor

Question 69

the nerve that transmits info concerning odors from olfactory receptors to the brain

Answer 69

olfactory nerve

Question 70

receptor cells that are sensitive to taste

Answer 70

taste cells

Question 71

the sensory organs for taste; they contain taste cells and are located mostly on the tongue

Answer 71

taste buds

Question 72

perception of pain apparently "in" limbs that have been amputated, often because of activation of nerves in the stump of the missing limb

Answer 72

phantom limb pain

Question 73

Melzack's view that neurons in the spine can simultaneously transmit only a limtited amount of info, so that stimulation of neurons from nay regions can limit the perception of pain in one region

Answer 73

gate theory of pain

Question 74

use of pins to diminish pain, possible because of stimulation of release of endorphins and cortisol

Answer 74

acupuncture

Question 75

the sense that informs us about the positions and motion of parts of our bodies

Answer 75

kinesthesis

Question 76

the sense of equilibrium that informs us about our bodies' positions relative to gravity

Answer 76

vestibular sense

Question 77

perception of objects of events through means other than the recognized sensory organs

Answer 77

extrasensory perception (ESP)