Chapter 4

Question 1

Sensation vs Perception

Answer 1

Perception is the interpretation of sensations.

Question 2

Sensation

Answer 2

Stimulation of sense organs. Sensation is the physical process of how the body detects things like light or sound.

Question 3

Perception

Answer 3

Selection, organization, and interpretation of sensory input.. Perception is how the brain takes all the sensations and figures out what they mean.

Question 4

Cornea

Answer 4

Transparent window at the front of the eye that protects it.

Question 5

Iris

Answer 5

Colored ring of muscle around the pupil that opens and closes

Question 6

Pupil

Answer 6

The opening at the center of the iris that regulates (controls) the amount of light reaching the retina.

Question 7

Lens

Answer 7

Focuses the light rays that fall on the retina.

Question 8

Retina

Answer 8

Neural tissue lining the inside back of the eye. It absorbs light, processes images, and sends visual information to the brain.

Question 9

Rods and Cones

Answer 9

The receptor (receiving) cells lining the retina that are sensitive to light.

Question 10

Blind Spot

Answer 10

The hole in the retina where all the axon fibers run from the retina to the brain. Also known as optic disk.

Question 11

What is light?

Answer 11

Energy in the form of light waves.

Question 12

3 Perceptual (ways we perceive) Light

Answer 12

1. Brightness
2. Color
3. Saturation

Question 13

Amplitude of Light

Answer 13

Its Brightness

Question 14

Wavelength of Light

Answer 14

Its Color

Question 15

Saturation of Light

Answer 15

How rich its color is (how much white is mixed in with a color)

Question 16

Trichromatic Theory

Answer 16

Eye has 3 types of cones; Red, Blue & Green.

Question 17

Afterimage

Answer 17

If you stare at a strong color then look at a white background, you see an afterimage. If Trichromatic Theory was true, you wouldn’t see the image.

Question 18

Opponent-process Theory

Answer 18

Four primary colors with paired cones:
red vs. green
blue vs. yellow

Question 19

Trichromatic vs Opponent-process

Answer 19

Vision is probably some combination of these two processes. First processed with cones that follow Trichromatic, then opponent-process.

Question 20

Color Blindness

Answer 20

Color vision deficiency. Caused by defective cones in the retina. More often in males.

Question 21

Subliminal Stimuli

Answer 21

A sensory stimulus (stimulation) that is below an individual’s threshold for conscious perception. (You don’t think about what you’re seeing.)

Question 22

Habituation

Answer 22

No longer responding to a stimulus after repeated presentations (you’ve heard a loud noise too many times, so it doesn’t scare you anymore).

Question 23

3 factors that influence perception

Answer 23

1. Perceptual set
2. Bottom-up processing
3. Top-down processing

Question 24

Perceptual Set

Answer 24

Ready to perceive a stimulus in a particular way. You’re at the zoo, so you see a bear as cute; if you saw one in the woods, you’d be afraid.

Question 25

Bottom-Up Processing

Answer 25

Go from seeing individual elements (parts) of something to seeing the whole thing (the big picture)

Question 26

Top-Down Processing

Answer 26

Go from seeing the whole thing before seeing each of the elements. You recognize a word before seeing all of the letters in it.

Question 27

Gestalt Principles

Answer 27

The whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.

Question 28

Figure and Ground (Reversible Figures)

Answer 28

The figure is what you look at, the ground is the background it is against. See something different depending on what you look at. (the vase and the face)

Question 29

Grouping: Proximity

Answer 29

Things that are close to each other seem to belong together. Dots appear to be in rows or columns depending upon how they are spaced.

Question 30

Grouping: Similarity

Answer 30

Grouping things together because they are similar. Like darker dots among lighter dots.

Question 31

Grouping: Closure

Answer 31

Grouping elements to create a sense of being completed (closure). You can complete a circle by filling in gaps in the picture.

Question 32

Grouping: Continuity

Answer 32

People want to follow things in the direction they are being led. Make smooth lines and curves from what you see.

Question 33

Depth Perception

Answer 33

Ability to perceive the world in 3 dimensions and judge how far away things are.

Question 34

Monocular Clues

Answer 34

Give you clues about distance based on the image in either eye alone (by itself).

Question 35

Linear Perspective

Answer 35

Parallel lines that go away from you seem to get closer together.

Question 36

Relative Size

Answer 36

Objects that you expect to be the same size appear larger when they are close to you.

Question 37

Interposition

Answer 37

Objects that are close to you mask (cover up) or overlap objects that are further away.

Question 38

Texture Gradient

Answer 38

Texture becomes denser and less noticeable as it gets further away. (a pattern seems to fade to a single color)

Question 39

Height in Plane

Answer 39

Closer objects are lower in visual field, distant ones are higher.

Question 40

Light and Shadow

Answer 40

Patterns of light and dark create a sense of 3 dimensions in the objects you look at. An object creates a shadow on a surface, so we perceive it as having 3 dimensions.

Question 41

Optical Illusion

Answer 41

Perception that does not correspond to reality.

Question 42

Sound Waves

Answer 42

Vibrations of the molecules of air that surround us.

Question 43

Sound Waves are similar to Light Waves

Answer 43

``` pitch = wavelength volume = amplitude timbre = saturation (purity) ```

Question 44

Theory of Pitch: Place Theory

Answer 44

Pitch is determined by location of the stimulation.

Question 45

Theory of Pitch: Frequency Theory

Answer 45

Pitch is related to how fast the membrane vibrates.

Question 46

Gustation

Answer 46

Taste

Question 47

Taste Buds

Answer 47

Receptors on the tongue.

Question 48

Physical stimuli for taste

Answer 48

Chemical substances in food that dissolve in water stimulate the taste buds on the tounge.

Question 49

5 Basic Tastes

Answer 49

1. Sweet 2. Sour 3. Bitter 4. Salty 5. Umami (Savory)

Question 50

Olfaction

Answer 50

Smell

Question 51

Olfactory Bulb

Answer 51

Processes nasal sensory information (thalamus does not process them).

Question 52

4 Qualities the Skin Detects

Answer 52

1. Touch 2. Pressure 3. Temperature 4. Pain

Question 53

Ear Drum

Answer 53

Taut (tight) membrane that vibrates in response to sound waves.

Question 54

Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup

Answer 54

Bones of the middle ear. Transmit motions of the eardrum into the inner ear.

Question 55

Inner Ear

Answer 55

Mostly the Cochlea: contains the receptors for hearing

Question 56

Olfactory Cilia

Answer 56

Hairlike structures in the upper part of nasal passages that are receptors for smell.