Sensation and perception principles Flashcards
synesthesia
To “receive together”, is a condition in which two sense are sensed at the same time, where one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another
sensation “detection & encoding”
The senses collect some kind of information from the environment and convert it to a signal that can travel to the brain
Transduction
The transformation of stimulus energy to electrochemical energy of neural impulses (except smell)
Perception “interpretation”
Process by which we select, organize, and interpret sensory information in order to recognize meaningful objects and events
Bottom-up processing “sensory Analysis”
Involves starting with an incoming stimulus and working upwards until a representation of the object is formed in our minds
Top-Down Processing
from our perception starting with a larger object, concept, or idea before working our way toward more detailed information
signal detection theory
theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint (weak) stimulus(signal) amid background stimulation (noise)
absolute threshold
Smallest level of stimulus that can be detected, usually defined as at least half the time (point something becomes noticeable)
subliminal sensation
when stimuli are below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness.
difference threshold
the amount something must be changed in order for a difference to be noticeable, or detectable at least half the time
selective attention
we center our attention to certain important elements of our environment while other things blend into the background or pass us by completely unnoticed
weber’s law
the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)
divided attention
occurs when mental focus is on multiple tasks or ideas at once
cocktail party effect
ability to focus on a particular sound while partial filtering out other sounds
