Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

MCAT Psych > Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Sensation and Perception Flashcards

1
Q

sensation

A

transduction: conversion of physical, auditory info from internal and external environment to electrical signals in the nervous system

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

perception

A

processing of this info to make sense of its significcance

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

sensory receptors

A

neurons that respond to stimuli and trigger signals

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

Ganglia

A

collections of neuron cell bodies found outside the central nervous system

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

photoreceptors

A

sight

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

hair cells

A

sensory receptor: respond to movement of fluid int he inner ear structures (hearing, rotational and linear acceleration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

nociceptors

A

painful or noxious stimuli

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

thermoreceptor

A

change in temp

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

osmoreceptor

A

osmolarity of blood

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

olfactory receptors

A

smell

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

taste receptors

A

dissolved compounds

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

threshold

A

minimum amount of a stimulus that renders a difference in perception
can be called limina

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

absolute threshold

A

minimum of stimulus energy needed to activate a sensory system (threshold in sensation, not perception). how loud, bright, intense a stimulus must be before it is sensed

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

subliminal perception

A

perception of a stimulus below a threshold (usually the threshold of conscious perception)

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

difference threshold or just noticeable difference

A

minimum difference in magnitude between two stimuli before one can perceive the difference. most can’t tell between 440 HZ and 441 Hz. need at least 3 Hz

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

Weber’s law

A

constant ratio between change in stimulus magnitude needed to produce a jnd and the magnitude of original stimulus. for higher-magnitude stimuli, difference must be lrager to produce a jnd

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

signal detection theory

A

perception of stimuli can be affected by nonsensory factors, like memories, motives

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

response bias

A

tendency of subjects to systematically respond to a stimulus in a particular way due to nonsensory factors

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

signal detection experiment

A

many trials, during each trial, a stimulus may or may not be presented. if it is, its a catch trial. if not, noise trial. hit (signal and perception), miss (no perception of signal) false alarm (perception but no signal), correct negative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

adaptation

A

our detection of a stimulus changes.
physiological and psychological component
cold water no longer seems cold once we get used to it

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

pathway for stimulus to reach conscious perception

A

sensory receptor>afferent neuron>sensory ganglion>spinal cord>brain

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

threshold of conscious perception

A

minimum stimulus evoke enough APs for long enough that brain perceives stimulus

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

sclera

A

thick structural layer, white of the eye. doesn’t cover the cornea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

choroidal vessels

A

blood vessels between sclera and terina

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
retina
actual photoreceptors that transduce light into electrical info
26
cornea
clear, domelike window infront of the eye, gathers and focuses light
27
anterior chamber
in front of the iris, behind cornea
28
posterior chamber
between iris and lens. produces aqeous humor
29
iris
2 muscles to control size of pupil: dilator pupillae, opens in sympathetic stimulation. constrictor pupillae: constricts the pupil parasympathetic
30
choroid
continuous with iris
31
ciliary body
produces aqueous humor
32
aqueous humor
bathes front part of the eye
33
canal of schlemm
drains aqueous humor
34
lens
behind the iris, helps control the refraction of incoming light
35
ciliary muscle
part of ciliary body, contracted in parasympathetic (changes shape of lens)
36
vitreous
transparent gel that supports the retina
37
retina
neural elements and blood vessels. converts photons to electrical signals. part of CNS light to dark reception color detection
38
cones
``` color vision, fine detals. Short Medium Long wavelengths 3 types of cones ```
39
rods
light and dark, signle pigment called rhodopsin
40
macula
central section of retina, has many cones.
41
fovea
centermost point of retina. only cones, visual acuity best at the fovea, and fovea is where sensitive in daylight
42
blind spot
where optic nerve leaves the eye
43
connection between rodes and cones and optic nerve
bipolar cells, ganglion cells, horizonta cells, amacrine cells
44
bipolar cells
connect with rods and cones, synapse with ganglion cells
45
optic nerve
group of ganglion cells
46
amacrine and horizontal cells
receive input from multiple retinal cells in same area before info passed onto ganglion cells
47
visual pathways
physical anatomical connections between eyes and brains, and flow of visual info along those connections
48
optic chiasm
fibers from nasal half of each retina ross paths. they carry temporal visual field from each eye. but the temporal fibers (carrying nasal visual field) don't cross, so all fibers corresponding to left visual field from both eyes project into right side of brain. all fibers corresponding to right visual fields project into elft side of brain
49
optic tracts
reorganized pathways after optic chiasm
50
parallel processing
simultaneously analyze and combine info regarding color, shape, motion
51
feature detection
correlate to parallel processing: visual pathways contain cells specialized in detection of either color, shape, or motion (cones for color)
52
shape detecting cells
parcovellular cells: high color spatial resolution. but low temporal resolution
53
motion detecting cells
magnocellular cells: high temporal resolution. but much of rich detail cannot be seen-low spatial resolution
54
pupil
allows passage of light from anterior to posterior chamber
55
light enters cornea to visual projection areas
cornea>pupil>lens>vitreous>retina (rods and cones>bipolar cells>ganglion cells)>optic nerve>optic chiasm>optic trac>LGN of thalamus>through parietal lobe>visual cortex (occiptal lobe)
56
pinna or auricle
cartilaginous part of ear
57
external auditory canal
sound waves go in here
58
tympanic membrane
eardrum: vibrates in phase with incoming sound waves | divides outer ear from middle ear
59
ossicles
stapes, malleus, incus
60
malleus
attached to tympanic membrane, acts on incus
61
inus (anvil)
acts on stapes
62
stapes
rests in oval window of cochlea, entrance to inner ear.
63
Eustachian tube
middle ear connected to nasal cavity via this tube, equalizes pressure between middle ear and environment
64
inner eaer
cochlea, vestibule, semicircular canalas
65
membranous labrynth
cochlea, vestibule, semicircular canals, filled with fluid called endolymph
66
perilymph
another fluid that the membranous labyrinth is suspended in | transmits vibrations from the outside world and cushions the inner ear structures
67
cochlea
snail shaped, 3 parts called scalae
68
organ of corti
middle scala, houses hearing apparatus, thousands of hair cells
69
tectorial membrane
on top of organ of corti
70
basilar membrane
thin, flexible, organ of corti rests on it
71
vibrations in perilympth
transmitted to basilar membrane, move within cochlea, hair cells in organi of corti convert physical stimulus into electrcal siggnal
72
vestibule
contains utricle and saccule, deals with linear acceleration
73
semicicircular canals
sensitive to rotational acceleration
74
tonotopically organized
high frequency pitch causes vibrations of basilar membrane near oal window lower near apex
75
olfactory chemoreceptors
in olfactory epithelium in upper parts of nasal cavity.chemical stimuli must bind to their respective chemoreceptors to cause a signal
76
pheromones
secreted, can bond with chemoreceptors
77
olfactory pathway
nasal passage>olfactory nerves>receptor cells activated>signal to olfactory bulb>olfactory track>limbic system
78
taste chemoreceptors
dissolved compounds
79
somatosensation
pressure, vibration, pain, temperature
80
somatosensory coretx
in parietal lobe
81
two-point threshold
minimum distance necssary betwen two points of stimulation to be felt as distinct
82
nociceptors
pain
83
propioception
where body is in space, also called kinesthetic sense
84
perceptual organization
use both bottom up and top down processsing to create a complete picture
85
Gestalt principles
way for the brain to infer missing parts
86
law of proximity
elements close to another are a unit
87
law of similarity
grouped together
88
good continuation
follow same pathway to be grouped together
89
subjective contours
shapes that arent present in stimulus
90
law of closure
space enclosed by a contour is a complete figure

MCAT Psych (4 decks)

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