Sensation/Perception Flashcards
perception
the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
relative size
we intuitively know to interpret familiar objects (of known size) as farther away when they appear smaller
parallel processing
Parallel processing is the ability of the brain to simultaneously process incoming stimuli of differing quality. Parallel processing becomes most important in vision, as the brain divides what it sees into four components: color, motion, shape, and depth.
schema
In psychology and cognitive science, a schema (plural schemata or schemas) describes an organized pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories of information and the relationships among them.
difference threshold
the smallest amount by which two sensory stimuli can differ in order for an individual to perceive them as different.
iris
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupil and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. The eye color is defined by the color of the iris.
textural gradient
Texture gradient is the distortion in size which closer objects have compared to objects farther away. It also involves groups of objects appearing denser as they move farther away. Also could be explained by noticing a certain amount of detail depending on how close something is, giving a sense of depth perception.
webers law
Weber’s law, also called Weber–Fechner law, historically important psychological law quantifying the perception of change in a given stimulus. The law states that the change in a stimulus that will be just noticeable is a constant ratio of the original stimulus.
retina
a layer at the back of the eyeball containing cells that are sensitive to light and that trigger nerve impulses that pass via the optic nerve to the brain, where a visual image is formed.
cochlea
the spiral cavity of the inner ear containing the organ of Corti, which produces nerve impulses in response to sound vibrations.
subliminal stimulation
Subliminal stimuli; literally “below threshold”), contrary to supraliminal stimuli or “above threshold”, are any sensory stimuli below an individual’s threshold for conscious perception.
after image
an impression of a vivid sensation (especially a visual image) retained after the stimulus has ceased.
opponent process theory
The opponent-process theory was first developed by Ewald Hering. He noted that there are color combinations that we never see, such as reddish-green or yellowish-blue. Opponent-process theory suggests that color perception is controlled by the activity of three opponent systems.
sensory adaptation
to detect novelty in our surroundings our senses tune out a constant stimulus
