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AP Psych > Perception, sensation, biology > Flashcards

Perception, sensation, biology Flashcards

(81 cards)

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1
Q

bottom up processing

A

when sensory receptors pick up on signals for the brain to integrate and process

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2
Q

top down processing

A

how we interpret sensations is influences by our available knowledge, experiences, and thoughts

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3
Q

psychophysics

A

the study of how people perceive things in the world around us

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4
Q

absolute threshold

A

the smallest level of energy required by an external stimulus to be detectable by the human senses ( vision - a candle flame 30 miles away)

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5
Q

signal detection theory

A

means to measure what we do when exposed to stimulus

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6
Q

subliminal stimulation

A

messages that are sent to the brain below conscious or processing

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7
Q

priming

A

a technique in which the introduction of one stimulus influences how people respond to a subsequent stimulus (talking about climate change with a person might activate tiger thinking about extreme weather)

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8
Q

difference threshold

A

the minimum required difference between two stimuli for a person to notice 50% of the time

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9
Q

Weber’s law

A

a person is much more likely to react to a quiet commercial that suddenly doubles in volume than a commercial that only slightly increases in volume

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10
Q

transduction

A

the transformation of something from one form, place, or notion to another (a person smells freshly bakes bred and then can visualize what the bread looks like)

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11
Q

pupil

A

the opening in the eye that allows light to enter

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12
Q

iris

A

the colored part of the eye which regulates the amounts of light entering the eyes through the pupil constriction or dilation

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13
Q

lens

A

the main function is to change the focal distance of the eye to allow focusing on objects at various distances

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14
Q

retina

A

the area in the back of the eye that contains your rods and cones

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15
Q

cornea

A

the transparent, protective outer layer of the eye that bends light waves to assist in proper focus

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16
Q

rods

A

the receptor cells that help with seeing finer details of things and in situations where there is light or daylight / involved with color vision

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17
Q

optic nerve

A

an extension of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spine. It transmits electrical impulses from your eyes to your brain

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18
Q

fovea

A

responsible for sharp central vision, which is necessary for reading, driving, etc

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19
Q

feature detectors

A

individual neurons or groups of neurons in the brain which code for perceptually significant stimuli

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20
Q

parallel processing

A

the ability of the brain to simultaneously process incoming stimuli of differing quality

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21
Q

stroop effect

A

delayed processing time because of the parallel processing (conflicts)

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22
Q

outer ear

A

ear, ear canal, ear drum (tympanic membrane)

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23
Q

middle ear

A

ossicles (hamer, anvil, stirrup, bones that vibrate), oval window

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24
Q

inner ear

A

cochlea (basilar membrane, hair cells, auditory nerve) these cells send electrical signals to the brain)

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25
place theory
pitch is determined by the part of the basilar membrane that has it's hairs activated
26
frequency theory
pitch is determined by the frequency of neural impulses
27
place theory
explains how we detect high pitches, frequency low pitches
28
gate control theory
a mechanism in the spinal cord in which pain signals can be sent up to the brain
29
kinesthetic sense
provides information on position and orientation of specific body parts
30
vestibular sense
provides information on overall orientation of your body (up, down, moving)
31
where is the right side of the body processed?
in the left hemisphere
32
where is the left side of the body processed?
in the right hemisphere
33
convergence
how sensory details are combines to form perceptions
34
stroboscopic movement
the visual phenomena in which viewing a series of slightly varying pictures in rapid succession produces the effect of continuous motion
35
phi phenomenon
an optical illusion that causes one to see several still images in a series as moving
36
perceptual set
a predisposition to perceive something one way rather than another (this team's fans are terrible, this team is really good)
37
habituation
decrease in responsibility to a stimulus due to repeated stimulation
38
perceptual adaption
if exposed to an inverted or altered visual field, you'll adjust over time
39
extrasensory perception
ESP, sixth sense is a claimed paranormal ability
40
gestalt
the natural tendency of our brain to organize stimuli in a meaningful pattern
41
gestalt principles
figure ground, similarity, proximity, closure, continuity
42
perceptual constancy
the tendency to see familiar objects as having standard, shape, size, color, etc
43
parapsychology
study of phenomenon excluded by conventional science (ESP)
44
sensory (afferent) neurons
the nerve fibers responsible for bringing sensory information from the outside world into the brain (go into)
45
motor (efferent) neurons
the nerve fibers responsible for carrying signals from the brain to the peripheral nervous system in order to imitate action (exit)
46
interneurons
the ones in between, they connect spinal motor and sensory neurons
47
soma
the spherical part of the neuron that contains the nucleus
48
terminal branches
the parts of neuron that sends messages to other neurons or muscles or glands
49
dendrite
branch like structures of neurons that extend from the cell body (soma), the main function is to receive information from other neurons
50
axon
a thin fiber that connects neurons so that they can communicate
51
myelin sheath
an insulting layer or sheath that forms around nerves, including those in the brain and spinal cord
52
action potential
a rapid sequence of changes in the voltage across a membrane
53
resting potential
the amount of power that is available to a cell to maintain is homeostatic state
54
depolarization
when a cell experiences a shift in the distribution of its electrical charges, leading to a less negative charge inside the cell than outside
55
refractory period
the period of time during which the response to a second stimulus is significantly slowed because a first stimulus is still being processed
56
excitatory signals
those that prompt one neuron to share information with the next through an action potential
57
inhibitory signals
work to cancel the signal/ block or prevent the chemical message from being passed any further
58
threshold
the lowest point at which a particular stimulus will cause a response in an organism
59
synaptic gap
a small gap at the end of a neuron that allows a signal to pass from one neuron to the next
60
reuptake
what happens after a signal is transmitted, is essential for synaptic functioning
61
endorphins
hormones that are released when your body feels pain or stress
62
acetylcholine (Ach)
a neurotransmitter, a chemical that carries messages from your brain to your body through nerve cells
63
serotonin
a chemical that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain and throughout the body ; plays a role in mood regulation, emotional well being, sleep, appetite, and cognitive functions
64
peripheral nervous system
deals with sensory and motor neurons
65
somatic nervous system
voluntary muscle movements
66
autonomic nervous system
regulates certain body processes, such as blood pressure and the rate of breathing (automatic bodily functions)
67
sympathetic nervous system
a network of nerves that helps your body activate its fight or flight response
68
parasympathetic nervous system
a network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger
69
central nervous system
spinal cord, and reflexes
70
endocrine sytem
slow, goes through the blood stream
71
adrenal glands
primarily release hormones related to stress, anxiety, including epinephrine, adrenaline, and cortisol
72
pituitary glands
"the master gland", as the hormones it produces control so many different processes in the body. It senses the body's needs and sends signals to different organs and glands throughout the body to regulate their function and maintain an appropriate environment
73
medulla
the lowest part of the brain present at the base of the brainstem. It's responsible for various brain activities that involve the automatic nerve response
74
pons
part of the brainstem which links that brain to the spinal cord, pons a vital section of your nervous system providing a route for signals to travel to and from the brain
75
reticular formation
a complex network of brainstem nuclei and neurons that serve as a major integration and relay center for many vital brain systems to coordinate functions necessary for survival
76
thalamus
egg shaped structure in the middle of the brain, a relay station of a all incoming motor and sensory information from the body to the brain
77
cerebellum
the portion of the brain in the back of the head between the cerebrum and brainstem, it controls balance for walking and standing
78
limbic system
part of the brain involved in behavioral and emotional responses (hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus)
79
hippocampus
major role in learning and memory
80
amygdala
associated with fear, emotions, and motivation
81
hypothalamus
controls body temperature, heart rate, hunger, mood, controls all

AP Psych (6 decks)

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