Sensation and Perception Exam

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

what happens when sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor

Question 2

Perception

Answer 2

the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and consciously experienced

Question 3

Bottom-up Processing

Answer 3

system in which perceptions are built from sensory input

Question 4

Top-down Processing

Answer 4

interpretation of sensations is influenced by available knowledge, experiences, and thoughts

Question 5

Psychophysics

Answer 5

the branch of psychology that deals with the relationships between physical stimuli and mental phenomena

Question 6

Absolute Threshold

Answer 6

minimum amount of stimulus energy that must be present for the stimulus to be detected 50% of the time

Question 7

Signal Detection Theory

Answer 7

change in stimulus detection as a function of current mental state

Question 8

Just Noticeable Difference

Answer 8

difference in stimuli required to detect a difference between the stimuli

Question 9

Weber’s Law

Answer 9

the difference threshold is a constant fraction of the original stimulus,

Question 10

Sensory Adaptation

Answer 10

not perceiving stimuli that remain relatively constant over prolonged periods of time

Question 11

Transduction

Answer 11

conversion from sensory stimulus energy to action potential

Question 12

Change Blindness

Answer 12

when a change in a visual stimulus is introduced and the observer does not notice it

Question 13

Optic Nerve

Answer 13

carries visual information from the retina to the brain

Question 14

Cornea

Answer 14

transparent covering over the eye