sensations vs perception

Question 1

____________ means taking the physical, electromagnetic, auditory,and other information from our internal and external environent and converting this information into electrical signals in the nervous system

Answer 1

sensation

Question 2

sensation is performed by receptors in the _________

Answer 2

PNS

Question 3

____________ refers to processing this information within the CNS in order to make sense of the informations significance

Answer 3

perception

Question 4

physical objects outside of the body are referred to as ___________

Answer 4

distal stimuli

Question 5

sensory stimulating byproducts are called __________

Answer 5

proximal stimuli

Question 6

identify the distal and proximal stimuli of a campfire

Answer 6

distal = physical object = campire

proximal = byproduct = light, crackling, heat

Question 7

the relationship between the physical nature of stimuli and the sensations and perceptions these stimuli ecoke is studied in the field of _____________

Answer 7

psychophysics

Question 8

___________ are a collection of neuron cell bodies found outside the CNS

Answer 8

ganglia

Question 9

___________ respond to electromagnetic waves in the visible spectrum

Answer 9

photoreceptors

*light

Question 10

___________ respond to preesure or movement

Answer 10

mechanoreceptors

*movement, vibration, hearing, rotational and linear acceleration

Question 11

___________ respond to painful or noxious smells

Answer 11

nociceptors

*somatosensation

Question 12

___________ respond to changes in temperature

Answer 12

thermoreceptors

*thermosensation

Question 13

___________ respond to osmolarity of blood

Answer 13

osmoreceptors

*water homeostasis

Question 14

___________ respond to voltaile compounds

Answer 14

olfactory receptors

*smells

Question 15

___________ respond to dissolved compounds

Answer 15

taste receptors

*taste

Question 16

____________ is the minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate a sensory system

Answer 16

absolute threshold

Question 17

T / F - the absolute threshold is a threhold in perception, not in sensation

Answer 17

false, the absolute threshold is a threhold in sensation, not in perception

absolute threshold is the minimum of stimulus energy that is needed to activate a sensory system

sensation = activates sensory system

Question 18

if the stimulus is below the absolute potential, what happens?

Answer 18

if it is below the absolute threshold, them the stimulus will not be transduced into an action potential and therefore will never be sent to the CNS

Question 19

the level of intensity that a stimulus must pass in order to be consciouslt perceived by the brain is the _____________

Answer 19

threshold of conscious perception

Question 20

if the stimulus is below the threshold of conscious perception, what happens?

Answer 20

stimuus below this threshold arrives at the CNS, but does not reach the high order brain regions that control attention and consciousness

infromation is received by the CNS but does not cross this threshold = subliminal perception

Question 21

____________ refers to the minimum change in magnitude required for an observer to perceive that two different stimuli are in fact different

Answer 21

difference threshold

Question 22

the difference threhold is usually reported as a fraction or percent, how is this calculated?

Answer 22

difference between 440 Hz and 443 Hz

divide the chnage in stimilus by the magnitude of the original stimulus

3 Hz (difference) / 440 Hz (original) = 0.68%

Question 23

explain webers law

Answer 23

difference threholds are proportional and must be computed as percentages

*spiders make WEBS, a high % of people are scared of spiders

Question 24

what is the signal detection theory?

Answer 24

internal and external factors influence thresholds of sensation and perception

Question 25

trials in which the signal is presented?

Answer 25

noise trials

Question 26

trails in which the signal is not presented?

Answer 26

catch trials

Question 27

four possible outcomes for noise / catch trials?

Answer 27

1. hit = subject correctly perceived signal
2. miss = subject fails to perceive signal
3. false alarm = subject indicates they perceived signal, even though the signal was not presented
4. correct negative = subject correctly identifies that no signal was presented

Question 28

our ability to detect stimulus can change over time through ____________

Answer 28

adaptation

*body tries to focus on the most relevent stimuli