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AP Psychology > Chapter 6 > Flashcards

Chapter 6 Flashcards

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1
Q

sensation

A

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.

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2
Q

perception

A

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.

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3
Q

bottom-up processing

A

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information.

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4
Q

top-down processing

A

information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations.

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5
Q

psychophysics

A

the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them.

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6
Q

absolute threshold

A

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time.

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7
Q

signal detection theory

A

theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulation ( signal ) amid background stimulation ( noise ). Detection depends partly on a person’s experiences, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue.

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8
Q

subliminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness.

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9
Q

difference threshold

A

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. we experience it as a just noticeable difference ( or jna ).

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10
Q

Weber’s Law

A

the principal that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage ( rather than a constant amount ).

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11
Q

sensory adaptation

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.

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12
Q

transduction

A

conversion of one form of energy into another. in sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret.

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13
Q

wavelength

A

the distance from the peak of the light or sound wave to the peak of the next. they vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmission.

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14
Q

hue

A

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light, what we know as the color names blue, green and so forth.

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15
Q

intensity

A

the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude.

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16
Q

pupil

A

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters.

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17
Q

iris

A

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening.

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18
Q

lens

A

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina.

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19
Q

accommodation

A

the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina.

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20
Q

rods

A

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and grey; twilight vision, when cones don’t respond.

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21
Q

cones

A

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. they detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.

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22
Q

optic nerve

A

the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain.

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23
Q

bind spot

A

the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a “blind” spot because no receptor cells are located there.

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24
Q

fovea

A

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster.

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25
color constancy
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object.
26
priming
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.
27
visual capture
the dominance of vision over other sense modalities in creating a percept, which influences the other parts of the extrasensory system
28
gestalt
an organized whole, psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.
29
figure - ground
the organization of the visual field into objects ( the figures ) that stand out from their surroundings ( the ground ).
30
grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups.
31
proximity
means closeness, either interns of physical distance, personal relationship, or length of time.
32
continuity
gestalt principal of perceptual organization that states people have a tendency to groups stimuli into continuous lines and patterns.
33
closure
gestalt principle of perceptual organization that explains how humans fill in visual gaps in order to perceive disconnected parts as whole object.
34
connectedness
a sensation and perception term that refers to the perception of uniform or linked spots, lines, or areas as a single unit.
35
depth perception
the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two dimensional; allow us to judge distance.
36
visual cliff
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals.
37
binocular cues
depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes.
38
monocular cues
depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone.
39
retinal disparity
a binocular cue for perceiving depth; by comparing images form the retinas in the two eyes; the brain computes distance - the greater the disparity ( difference ) between the two images, the closer the object.
40
retina
the light - sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information.
41
acuity
refers to the sharpness, clearness, and focus of a person's vision. it is a measure of the eye's spatial resolution, or ability to perceive shapes and figures in a 3 - dimensional setting.
42
nearsightedness
an eye condition where one cannot see objects clearly from a far.
43
farsightedness
causes a person to have little difficulty seeing things that are at a distance, but having difficulty seeing things that are closure.
44
feature detectors
specialized cells in the brain that are needed when there's an inability to detect certain types of stimuli, like movements, shapes, and angles.
45
parallel processing
processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision.
46
young - Helmholtz theory
theory that the retina contains three different color receptors - one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue, which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any color.
47
opponent - process theory
theory that opposing retinal processes ( red, green, yellow-blue, white-black ) enable color vision. some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green.
48
cochlear implant
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea.
49
audition
the sense or act of hearing
50
frequency
the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time ( for example, per second ).
51
pitch
a tone's experiences highness or lowness; depends on frequency
52
middle ear
chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones, ( hammer, anvil, and stirrup ) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window.
53
inner ear
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semi circular canals, and vestibular sacs.
54
cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses.
55
place theory
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated.
56
frequency theory
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense it's pitch.
57
conduction hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.
58
sensorineural hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness.
59
gate-control theory
theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that blocks pain signals, or allows them to pass on to the brain. its opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers, is closed by the activity in large fibers, or by information coming into the brain.
60
sensory interaction
the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste.
61
kinesthesis
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
62
vestibular sense
the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance.
63
human factors psychology
division of psychology that studies how the human mind and body interacts with its tools and environment. seeks to create ways in which humans can interact with modern world in ways they're more psychologically friendly.
64
convergence
eyes must move slightly inward in order to perceive depth properly, in doing so, people are able to determine if objects are close to them or far away.
65
relative size
perceptual clue which allows you to determine how close objects are to an object of known size.
66
interposition
a visual signal that an object is closure than the one's behind it because the closer object covers part of the farther object.
67
relative brightness
a comparison of the brightness of any two objects, it can be done through a specific mathematical equation or simply looking at them and making a judgement.
68
relative clarity
a monocular cue; light from distant objects passes through more atmosphere therefore they are perceived as hazy and farther away than sharp, clear objects.
69
texture gradient
a monocular cue; a gradual change from course, distinct texture to fine, in distinct texture signals increasing distance.
70
relative height
a monocular cue; objects higher in our field of visions are perceived as farther away; causes the illusion that taller objects are longer than shorter objects.
71
relative motion
a monocular cue; as we move, objects that are stationary appear to move, the closer the objects, the faster it appears to move.
72
linear perspective
a monocular cue; parallel lines such as railroad tracks, seem to converge with distance, the greater the convergence, the greater the distance perceived.
73
phi phenomenon
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession
74
perceptual constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging ( in lightness, color, shape, and size ) as illumination and retinal images change, relating to top-down processing.
75
perceptual adaptation
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field.
76
perceptual set
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another.
77
extrasensory perception ( ESP )
the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.
78
parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomena, including extrasensory perception and psychokinesis.

AP Psychology (17 decks)

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