Chapter 4 Psychology 175.102

Question 0

Perception

Answer 0

Perception is the related process by which the brain selects organises and interprets sensations

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

Sensation is the process by which sense organs gather information about the environment and transmit it to the brain for initial processing

Question 2

Sensory receptors

Answer 2

Specialised cells in the nervous system that transform energy in the environment in to neural impulses that can be interpreted by the brain

Question 3

Transduction

Answer 3

The process of converting physical energy or stimulus information into impulses

Question 4

Absolute threshold

Answer 4

The minimum amount of physical energy needed for an observer to notice a stimulus

Question 5

Signal detection theory

Answer 5

Asserts that judgements about the presence or absence of stimulus reflect the observer’s sensitivity to the stimulus and the observers response bias.

Question 6

Response bias

Answer 6

The individual readiness to report detecting a stimulus when uncertain

Question 7

Difference threshold

Answer 7

The lowest level of stimulation required to sense that a change in stimulation has occurred

Question 8

Just noticeable difference, JND

Answer 8

The just detectable difference between two stimuli

Question 9

Weber’s law

Answer 9

States that regardless of the magnitude of two stimuli, the second must differ by constant proportion from the first for it to be perceived as different.

Question 10

Fechner’s law

Answer 10

States that the magnitude of the stimulus grows logarithmically as the subjective experience of intensity grows arithmetically, so that people subjectively experience only a fraction of actual increases in stimulation.

Question 11

Steven’s Power law

Answer 11

States that subjective intensity increases in a linear fashion as actual intensity grows exponentially.

Question 12

Wavelengths

Answer 12

Different forms of radiation have waves of different length

Question 13

Cornea

Answer 13

A tough transparent tissue covering the front of the eyeball

Question 14

Pupil

Answer 14

An opening in the centre of the iris

Question 15

Iris

Answer 15

The pigmented tissue that gives the eye it’s blue, green or brown colour

Question 16

Lens

Answer 16

And elastic, disc shaped structure about the size of lima bean that is involved in focusing the eyes.

Question 17

Accommodation

Answer 17

The process in which the lens flattens for distant objects and becomes more rounded or spherical for closer objects.

Question 18

Retina

Answer 18

A light sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye that transduces light into visual sensations.

Question 19

Vitreous humour

Answer 19

The clear liquid in the eye

Question 20

Rods and cones

Answer 20

Two types of light receptors, or photo receptors, which are named for the distinctive shapes.

Question 21

Bipolar cells

Answer 21

Information from rods and cones are transmitted to these, then onto ganglion cells

Question 22

Ganglion cells

Answer 22

These integrate information from many bipolar cells

Question 23

Optic nerve

Answer 23

Made up of axons from many ganglion cells, this optic nerve carries visual information to the brain

Question 24

Fovea

Answer 24

The central region of the retina. Most sensitive to small detail

Question 25

Blindspot

Answer 25

The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye.

Question 26

What pathway of vision

Answer 26

Involved in determining what an object is.

Question 27

Where pathway of vision

Answer 27

Involved in locating an object in space, following is movement, and guiding movement towards it.

Question 28

Feature detectors

Answer 28

Feature detectors in the primary visual cortex respond only when stimulation in their respective field matches a particular pattern or orientation.

Question 29

Hue

Answer 29

What people mean by colour. That is whether an object appears blue, red, violet and so on.

Question 30

Saturation

Answer 30

The extent to which colour is diluted with a white or black, or saturated with its own wavelength

Question 31

Lightness

Answer 31

The extent to which a colour is light or dark

Question 32

Trichromatic theory of colour

Answer 32

According to this theory the eye contains three types of receptors, which are most sensitive to wavelengths experienced as red, green or blue.

Question 33

Opponent-process theory

Answer 33

According to this theory the colours we experience (and the after image we perceive) reflect three antagonistic colour systems; a blue-yellow, red-green and black-white system.

Question 34

Audition

Answer 34

Hearing

Question 35

Sound waves

Answer 35

The way in which sound travels, which occur as a vibrating object sets air particles in motion.

Question 36

Cycles

Answer 36

Each round of expansion and contradiction of the distance between molecules of air

Question 37

Frequency

Answer 37

A measure of how often a wave cycles. Frequency is expressed in hertz.

Question 38

Pitch

Answer 38

The quality of the tone, from low to high.

Question 39

Complexity

Answer 39

Refers to the extent to which sound is composed of multiple frequencies, and corresponds to the psychological property of timbre.

Question 40

Timbre

Answer 40

The texture of sound

Question 41

Amplitude

Answer 41

Refers to the height and depth of a wave, that is, the difference between its maximum and minimum pressure level. The amplitude of a soundwave corresponds to the psychological property of loudness.

Question 42

Transduction of hearing

Answer 42

``` Pinnas Eardrum or tympanic membrane Cochlea Auditory receptors or hair cells Sensory neurons Auditory nerve Medulla Splits to the midbrain - inferior colliculus Splits to the thalamus. Then the primary auditory cortex ```

Question 43

Cochlea

Answer 43

A 3 chambered tube in the inner ear shaped like a snail and involved in the transduction of sound.

Question 44

Place theory of sensing pitch

Answer 44

Best explains transaction at high frequencies, different areas of the basilar membrane respond to different frequencies.

Question 45

Frequency theory of hearing pitch

Answer 45

Best explains transduction at low frequencies, the rate of vibration of the basilar membrane transforms frequency into pitch.

Question 46

Sound localisation

Answer 46

Identifying the location of the sound in space: differences between the two ears in loudness and timing of the sound.

Question 47

Olfaction

Answer 47

Smell

Question 48

Pheromones

Answer 48

Scent messages detected through an auxiliary olfactory system that regulate the sexual behaviour of many animals and direct a variety of behaviours in insects

Question 49

Transduction of smell

Answer 49

``` Molecules in the air Olfactory epithelium Olfactory mucus Olfactory receptor cells Olfactory nerve Olfactory bulb Olfactory tract Primary olfactory cortex Splits to amygdala Splits to thalamus ```

Question 50

Gustation

Answer 50

Taste

Question 51

Tastebuds

Answer 51

Where transduction of taste occurs

Question 52

Transduction of taste

Answer 52

``` Molecules in saliva Taste buds Taste receptors Gustily nerve Medulla and pons Splits to limbic system Splits to thalamus. Then to primary gastric cortex ```

Question 53

Proprioceptive senses

Answer 53

Vestibular sense. Provides information about the position of the body in space by sensing gravity and movement. Kinaesthesia. Provides information about the movement the position of the limbs and other parts of the body relative to one another.