sensation and perception in psychology Flashcards
(26 cards)
What is sensation?
Sensation is the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.
What is perception?
Perception is the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.
True or False: Sensation and perception are the same processes.
False
What are the five traditional senses?
Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.
Fill in the blank: The __________ is the minimum amount of stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.
absolute threshold
What is the difference threshold?
The difference threshold is the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time.
Which theory explains how we perceive different intensities of stimuli?
Weber’s Law
What is sensory adaptation?
Sensory adaptation is the diminished sensitivity to a stimulus as a consequence of constant exposure to that stimulus.
True or False: Sensory adaptation can enhance our perception of new stimuli.
True
What role do rods and cones play in vision?
Rods are responsible for vision in low light, while cones are responsible for color vision and detail.
What is the function of the optic nerve?
The optic nerve transmits visual information from the retina to the brain.
What is the process of transduction?
Transduction is the conversion of one form of energy into another, such as converting light energy into neural signals.
Fill in the blank: The __________ theory of color vision suggests that the eye has three types of cones sensitive to red, green, and blue light.
trichromatic
What does the term ‘top-down processing’ refer to?
Top-down processing refers to the interpretation of sensory information based on prior knowledge and experience.
What does the term ‘bottom-up processing’ refer to?
Bottom-up processing refers to the analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information.
True or False: Gestalt principles are used to explain how we organize visual information.
True
What is the principle of figure-ground in Gestalt psychology?
The principle of figure-ground refers to the ability to distinguish an object (the figure) from its background (the ground).
What is depth perception?
Depth perception is the ability to perceive the world in three dimensions and judge distance.
What are binocular cues for depth perception?
Binocular cues are depth cues that depend on the use of two eyes, such as retinal disparity and convergence.
What are monocular cues for depth perception?
Monocular cues are depth cues that can be perceived using only one eye, such as interposition and linear perspective.
Fill in the blank: The __________ effect refers to the phenomenon where the perception of time is altered based on the context of the surrounding stimuli.
time distortion
What is the role of the thalamus in sensation?
The thalamus acts as a relay station for sensory information, directing it to the appropriate areas of the brain.
True or False: Pain is solely a physical sensation.
False
What is the gate-control theory of pain?
The gate-control theory of pain suggests that the spinal cord contains a ‘gate’ that can block or allow pain signals to the brain.
