Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Psychology 1A > Perception & Sensation > Flashcards

Perception & Sensation Flashcards

(92 cards)

Start Studying
0
Q

What is Bottom-Up processing?

A

Taking individual elements of a stimulus to combine them into a unified perception

Example - how you read letter shapes on a page to form a word

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
1
Q

What is perception?

A

The creation of experience

Involves organising raw sensory data and giving it meaning

Active process

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is Top-Down processing?

A

Sensory information is interpreted in light of existing knowledge, concepts, ideas and expectations

Example - making use of higher order knowledge including what you have learnt about the meaning of words & sentence construction when reading a word

Important route to producing idiosyncratic unique perceptual experiences

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Why is attention important in perception?

A

Because we encounter an enormous volume of sensory data at any one time, much of which is irrelevant to our goals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Give an example of Top down processing

A

Led zeppelin songs playing backwards

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What does Selective Attention allow us to do?

A

Focus on certain stimuli and filter out other information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Describe Cherry’s (1953) Cocktail Party Effect

A
  • when you hear someone mention your name at a party in a crowded room, you attend to what they say and are able to filter out all other conversations
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is Inattentional Blindness? (Mack 2003)

A

Refers to the failure of unattended stimuli to register in our consciousness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Describe Haines (1991) and Simon & Chabris (1999) research into Inattentional Blindness

A

Haines - experienced pilots in simulators were so intent on landing instruments that they directed their place onto runways which already had aircraft on them

Simon & Chabris - research P’s had to count the number of passes during a videotaped basketball game so they failed to notice a wan walking through the group in a gorilla costume despite remaining in clear sight for a reasonable period of time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Relevant application of Inattentional Blindness nowadays

Golden et al

A
  • cell phone usage significantly reduces driving performance
  • could extend to listening to music, tuning the radio, conversations with other passengers in the vehicle
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are external factors?

A
  • stimulus factors

- intensity, movement, size, novelty

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are internal factors?

A
  • personal factors

- interests, motives

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Examples of internal factors that draw our attention

Jiang et al 2006 and Hansen & Hansen 1988

A

Jiang - gave P’s a test where 2 different images (both erotic pictures of either men or women) were presented to each spatial field - results as to be expected, straight men saw the woman, straight woman saw the man

Hansen - presented slides showing groups of 9 people where half of the pictures consisted of the group being angry or happy whilst the other half contained a one face who’s emotion was different to the rest of the group. P’s had to judge whether there was a discrepant face and P’s were much quicker at seeing the angry discrepant faces rather than the happy discrepant faces

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is figure-ground segregation?

A

Is the tendency to organise stimuli into a central or foreground figure and background set up

Eg spotty dog picture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What do Gestalt principles believe?

A

The whole is much better than the sum of its individual parts

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Gestalt Principle - similarity

A

When parts of a configuration are perceived as similar, they will be perceived as belonging together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Gestalt Principle - proximity

A

Elements that are near each other are likely to be perceived as belonging together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Gestalt Principle - closure

A

People tend to close the open edges of a figure or fill in the gaps in an incomplete figure so that the identification of the form is more complete than what is actually there

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Gestalt Principle - continuity

A

People link individual elements together so that they form a continuous line or pattern that makes sense

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are perceptual schemas?

A
  • when we recognise stimuli
  • a mental representation or image containing the critical and distinctive features of a person, object, event or other perceptual phenomena
  • provide mental templates that allow us to classify and identify sensory input in a top-down fashion
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is a perceptual set?

A

A readiness to perceive stimuli in a particular way

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are perceptual constancies?

A

Allow us to recognise familiar stimuli under varying conditions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Why is perception of depth so important?

A

Allows us to interact with the world

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are monocular cues?

A

Cues from one eye

Don’t rely on binocular vision

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
What are binocular cues?
Cues from both eyes
25
Monocular Cues - Relative Size
- powerful cue - simple but important cue to depth - if we see 2 objects that we know are of a similar size, the one that looks smaller will be judged to be further away - big things are nearer to us, smaller things are far away from us
26
Examples of relative size monocular cues
Visual illusions like people's faces and bank notes or people's bodies with album covers
27
Monocular Cues - Occlusion
Occluding that something is similar to another one and that something is nearer to you
28
Describe what absence of occlusion entails
Effective as it can create ambiguity about an image Examples - pictures with the leaning tower of Pisa and pretending that you are holding a pyramid - these images hinge on the scene being viewed from a particular perspective - they generate a false impression of depth which relies on the image being viewed from a specific angle
29
Monocular Cues - Relative Height
Things higher up in our visual field seem further away
30
Monocular Cues - Linear Perspective
- tendency for parallel lines to converge as they recede into the distance - key impression of depth for 2D images - example drawing a room
31
Example of Linear Perspective
Ames Room - plays with our cues on linear perspective by distorting the grid like pattern on the ground - person in one corner is considerably further away than the person in the other corner
32
Monocular Cues - Texture Gradient
- tendency for us to perceive continuity in texture details - things are occupying a similar physical space as other objects around us - however the continuity gets broken once the image is moved from the particular point where you view the image from Example - art student who painted a car to blend in with a car park and wall
33
Monocular Cues - Shadows
- example of top down processing Example - image of a 'levitating' car found on a satellite image which turned out to be a white car parked to a next to a black car
34
Monocular Cues - Clarity
Things close to us are rich in detail Things far away lack clarity and rich detail
35
Monocular Cues - Motion Parallax
- tendency for things near us / far away to move across the retina at different speeds - eg on a train, things closer to you seem to move faster than the things far away
36
Binocular Cues - Binocular Disparity
- left & right eyes receive different information as they operate a different space in the world - the information from both eyes allows us to create an impression of depth Eg closing one eye and trying to squish someone's head and then opening the other eye - the image is different
37
Binocular Cues - Convergence
- produced by feedback from the muscles that turn your eyes inward to view a close object - eg holding a finger close to your face and then moving it towards your face - messages sent to the brain by the eye muscles provide the brain with a depth cue - when the brain focuses on things far away or near, it gives very different information to the muscles
38
How do we perceive motion?
By the speed at which objects move across the retina
39
What is Stroboscopic motion?
The tendency to perceive a sequence of flashing bulbs as the images of the bulbs themselves are moved slightly Basically when a sequence of static images creates an impression of motion - Wertheimar (1912) Eg cinematography works on the same principle
40
What is sensation?
The stimulus detection process by which our sense organs respond to and translate environmental stimuli into nerve impulses that are sent to the brain
41
How can we measure perception?
1) the phenomenological approach OR 2) the techniques of psychophysics
42
What is the Phenomenological Approach?
- just describing what you sense | - not very scientific however
43
What are Psychophysics? (Fechner 1860)
``` Psycho = related to the mind & brain Physics = the scientific study of matter or energy ``` So in this area of research, we try to relate a precisely defined physical stimulus with a precisely measured behavioural response
44
Describe "Light"
The agency that causes a visual sensation when it falls on the retina of the eye.....it forms a narrow section of the electromagnetic spectrum
45
Describe "Electromagnetic Radiation"
Waves of energy that are caused by the acceleration of charged particles
46
What do we need to measure about Light?
The Wavelength - visible light, what we use for our vision It's intensity (related to brightness) - dark to light colour means the number of photons increases (it gets brighter)
47
What is the absolute threshold?
The smallest amount of stimulus energy necessary for an observer to detect a stimulus ie what is the dimmest light that we can see
48
What is the method of constant stimuli?
- Pre-determined set of stimuli - fit a psychometric function to the data Accurate measure but it is slow
49
What is signal detection theory? (Green and Swets)
Concerned with the factors that influence sensory judgements Need to take into account observer's decision criterion - a standard of how certain a participant must be that a stimulus is present before they say that they can detect it
50
What are the two difference thresholds?
1) Just Noticeable Difference | 2) Weber's Law
51
What is Just Noticeable Difference?
the smallest difference between 2 stimuli that a person can detect for example line length
52
What is Weber's Law?
The ratio of JND (Δl) to the standard stimulus (l) is constant: Δl/l = k
53
What is sensory adaptation?
Sensory neurons are engineered to respond to a constant stimulus by decreasing their activity - when sensory adaptations become involved - they can enhance sensitivity and reduce sensitivity
54
Describe sensory adaptations that enhance sensitivity
More sensitive to light after half an hour in the dark More sensitive to sound in the quietness of the night More sensitive to taste after drinking plain water The absence of sensory stimulation increases sensitivity
55
Describe sensory adaptations that reduce sensitivity
Can't see stars in the daytime Can't hear very well after loud music concerts Can't taste much after eating a hot curry Hot baths and cold swimming pools feel okay after you have been in them for a while and have become accustomed to the temperature A strong persistent stimulation decreases sensitivity
56
Why do we have sensory adaptation?
- evolutionary advantage - allows us to cope with a wide variety of environments - survival of the fittest - whose senses can fit the environment the best - focus our sensory information on the most interesting stuff
57
Example of Sensory Adaptation - Retinal Stabilisation
- stabilised images on the retina fade quickly - normally our eyes are in constant motion to prevent this from happening - this adaptation series to reduce visual clutter and to help us concentrate on changes
58
What is the main function of the senses?
To detect various forms of energy
59
State what forms of energy each sense detects
Vision - electromagnetic radiation Hearing - mechanical vibrations Touch - mechanical perturbations of the skin Smell - chemical properties of gases Taste - chemical properties of solids and liquids in contact with the tongue
60
Describe the process of light coming into the eye
- light comes in and hits the cornea (membrane sitting over the eye) - cornea does most of the focusing of the light - the coarse control - lens focuses on fine control of the light - pupil - basically a gap that allows light to pass through it - lens - the ciliary muscles either stretch or squish the pupil - fovea - most of the looking, where you have your best vision in terms of perception - image is projected onto the retina - the optic nerve then carried messages regarding the image to the brain
61
What do photoreceptors do?
Turn light into electricity in a process called photo transduction
62
What are the two different types of Photoreceptors?
Rods & Cones
63
Describe Phototransduction
Photoreceptors send signals to bipolar cells which then send signals to retinal ganglion cells The axons of the retinal ganglion cells from the optic nerve send signals to the brain
64
What is the Amplitude of Accomodation?
The ability to focus from near to far and back again At the age of 18, this part of the body starts to die as it stiffens up and is less able to work effectively
65
Describe the features of the Blind spot
- no photoreceptors | - basically where all the information from the eye goes to get to the optic nerve
66
Describe Duplex Theory
Rods and Cones differ in structure, number and distribution across the retina Rods: 120 million in one adult human eye, Sacrifice acuity for sensitivity More common in periphery vision Cones: 6 million in one adult human eye Sacrifice sensitivity for acuity Commonest in central vision
67
What type of vision are Rods neural substrates for?
Night vision / Scotopic Vision
68
What type of vision are Cones neural substrates for?
Day vision / photopic vision
69
What does frequency stand for?
PITCH low frequency = low pitch high frequency = high pitch
70
What does amplitude stand for?
LOUDNESS - higher waves = loud noise - low waves = soft noise
71
Describe transduction in the ear
- sound waves travel down the external auditory canal and vibrate the eardrum - the middle ear transfers these vibrations & amplifies them - these vibrations are picked up by the hair cells in the fluid-filled cochlea - the cochlea transform the vibrations into electrical signals which a then passed down the auditory nerve
72
Describe the Place Theory of Audition (Von Bekesy)
- frequency is encoded according to the position on the basilar membrane - high frequencies - encoded near the tip of the cochlear spiral - low frequencies - encoded near the centre of the cochlear spiral -
73
Describe transduction on the tongue
Chemicals are dissolved in water to stimulate taste buds on the tongue Taste buds sit under proses in the tongue Turn these dissolved chemicals into electrical signals which are then sent to the brain ``` Sweet = sucrose Sour = acid Salty = sodium Bitter = quinine Umami = glutamate ```
74
Describe transduction in the nose
Molecules carried in the air stimulate specific odour receptors in the olfactory epithelium About 350 different receptor classes Electrical signals pass directly to the olfactory bulb in the frontal lobe
75
What are mechanoreceptors?
Receptors in the skin
76
What are Basket Cells?
Light touch to hair
77
What are the uses of colour vision?
Object detection, discrimination, recognition Often used as an identifier - evolutionary advantage a detecting fruit against foliage
78
What is Achromatopsia?
True colour blindness See the world as grey
79
What are the attributes of colour?
Hue, Brightness, Saturation Represented using colour circles, disks and solids
80
What is Subtractive colour mixing?
Mixing paints Looking through coloured filters Taking colour away
81
What is Additive colour mixing?
Mixing colour lights - adding colour Television Pointillist painting - little tiny dots of colour
82
Describe Young-Helmholtz's Theory of Trichromacy
There are 3 types of cone photoreceptors Long, medium and short wavelength preferring Red - lots of L, not very much M & S Blue - lots of S, not very much M & L Yellow - about even in L and M, not much S
83
What are the issues with Trichromacy?
Complementary colours - reddish green or yellowish blue Simultaneous Colour Contrast - a grey square surrounded by blue looks yellowish and vice versa Negative after images - a red stimulus gives a green after image and vice versa
84
How does the Trichromacy theory work?
- believed that any colour in the visible spectrum could be produced by some combination of the wavelengths that correspond to the colours blue, green and red - each of the receptor classes works by sending messages to the brain, based on the extent to which they are activated by the light energy's wavelength - the visual system then combines the signals to recreate the original hue - if all 3 cones are equally activated pure white is perceived
85
Why does the Trichromacy theory not work all the time?
According to the theory, yellow is produced by the activity of red and green receptors but people with colour blindness have no problems with perceiving the colour yellow despite being unable to perceive the colours red and green
86
Describe the Opponent-Process theory (Hering)
Each of the 3 cones responds to 2 different wavelengths Blue - yellow, red - green and black - white As you stare at one colour, the neural process that registers it becomes fatigued but when you gaze onto a white surface which reflects the wavelengths, a rebound opponent reaction occurs as each receptor responds with its opposing colour reaction.
87
Give an examples of colour blindness
Sacks' colour blind artist
88
What are trichromats?
People with normal colour vision Sensitive to all three colour systems
89
What are dichromats?
A person who is colour bind in one colour system Either blue - yellow or green - red
90
What are monochromats?
A person who is sensitive only to the black - white system Totally colour blind
91
What is Synathesia?
- a merging of the senses - experience unusual perceptions (colours, tastes) whilst going about everyday life - synaesthetic perceptions of colour can be triggered by sound, taste, smell, touch, letters, numbers, words, music - thought it is to do with un-pruned neural connections or reduced neural inhibition

Psychology 1A (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions