Unit 1.6 and 2.1

Question 1

Sensation

Answer 1

the process by which sensory receptors in the body receive information from the environment, transforming physical stimuli into neural signals that the brain can interpret as sensory experiences like sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell

Question 2

Threshold

Answer 2

the minimum level of stimulation needed for a person to detect a particular stimulus,

Question 3

Transduction

Answer 3

the process of converting environmental stimuli (like light, sound, or touch) into neural signals that the brain can interpret

Question 4

Just Noticeable Difference

Answer 4

the smallest detectable change in a stimulus that a person can reliably perceive 50% of the time

Question 5

Sensory Adaptation

Answer 5

the process where our senses become less sensitive to a constant stimulus over time

Question 6

Weber’s Law

Answer 6

the just noticeable difference (JND) between two stimuli is a constant proportion of the original stimulus intensity

Question 7

Sensory interaction

Answer 7

the phenomenon where different senses influence each other

Question 8

Synesthesia

Answer 8

a neurological condition where stimulating one sense automatically triggers a perception in another sense, causing a person to experience both sensations simultaneously

Question 9

Vision

Answer 9

the sense of sight, where the eye acts as the receptor, detecting light energy within the visible spectrum and converting it into neural impulses that the brain interprets as visual information

Question 10

Retina

Answer 10

the light-sensitive inner layer of the eye that contains photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) which convert light into neural impulses that are then sent to the brain for visual processing

Question 11

Blind spot

Answer 11

a small area in the retina of the eye where there are no photoreceptor cells, resulting in a lack of visual perception.

Question 12

Lens

Answer 12

A transparent structure that sits behind the pupil and can adjust its shape to bend light for proper focus

Question 13

Accommodation

Answer 13

the cognitive process where an individual modifies their existing mental frameworks or schemas to incorporate new information or experiences that don’t fit within their current understanding

Question 14

Nearsightedness

Answer 14

a visual condition where the focus point of light entering the eye falls in front of the retina

Question 15

Farsightedness

Answer 15

a visual condition where a person can see distant objects clearly but has difficulty focusing on nearby objects

Question 16

Rods

Answer 16

a type of photoreceptor cell located in the retina of the eye that are highly sensitive to low light conditions, primarily responsible for peripheral vision and detecting shades of gray rather than color

Question 17

Light/dark adaptation

Answer 17

“light adaptation” refers to the process of the eye adjusting to a bright environment by decreasing its sensitivity to light, while “dark adaptation” is the opposite process, where the eye becomes more sensitive to light when transitioning to a low-light environment, primarily achieved by the dilation of the pupil and activation of the retina’s rod cells

Question 18

Color vision

Answer 18

the ability to perceive differences between light composed of different wavelengths

Question 19

Trichromatic Color Theory

Answer 19

the human eye perceives color by combining signals from three types of cone cells in the retina, each sensitive to a primary color: red, green, and blue

Question 20

Opponent process color theory

Answer 20

color vision is perceived by processing color information in opposing pairs

Question 21

Cones

Answer 21

A type of photoreceptor that distinguishes colors and detects fine details in well-lit conditions

Question 22

Afterimages

Answer 22

a visual sensation that persists after the original stimulus is removed, typically appearing as a complementary color to the original stimulus

Question 23

Ganglion Cells

Answer 23

the specialized neurons located in the retina of the eye that receive visual information from bipolar cells and transmit it to the brain via the optic nerve

Question 24

Fova

Answer 24

a small pit located in the center of the retina, containing the highest concentration of cone cells, responsible for sharp, detailed central vision

Question 25

Dichromatism (color vision deficiency)

Answer 25

a type of color blindness where a person can only perceive two primary colors, instead of the usual three (red, green, and blue), due to a deficiency in one of the cone types in their eyes, causing confusion between certain colors like red and green

Question 26

Monochromatism (color vision deficiency)

Answer 26

a rare condition where an individual only has one type of cone cell functioning in their eyes, resulting in the perception of colors solely as shades of gray, essentially experiencing total color blindness

Question 27

Prosopagnosia

Answer 27

a neurological condition where a person is unable to recognize faces, despite having normal vision

Question 28

Blindsight

Answer 28

a neurological condition where a person can respond to visual stimuli without consciously perceiving them

Question 29

Sound waves

Answer 29

mechanical vibrations that travel through a medium like air, creating pressure changes which are interpreted by the brain as sound

Question 30

Wavelengths (pitch)

Answer 30

the distance between the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next wave

Question 31

Amplitude (loudness)

Answer 31

the height of a sound wave, essentially measuring its intensity or loudness

Question 32

Place theory (pitch perception)

Answer 32

the idea that the perception of pitch is determined by the specific location on the basilar membrane within the cochlea where different sound frequencies stimulate hair cells,

Question 33

Volley theory (hearning)

Answer 33

the idea that when listening to high-frequency sounds, groups of auditory neurons fire in rapid succession, taking turns to "volley" action potentials, allowing the brain to perceive a sound frequency that no single neuron could handle alone

Question 34

Frequency theory (pitch perception)

Answer 34

a theory of hearing that states the pitch of a sound is determined by the rate at which nerve impulses travel along the auditory nerve

Question 35

Hearing difficulties

Answer 35

a partial or complete inability to hear sounds adequately, which can be caused by damage or dysfunction in any part of the auditory system, potentially affecting speech development and communication abilities

Question 36

Conduction deafness

Answer 36

a type of hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system of the outer or middle ear

Question 37

Sensorineural deafness

Answer 37

a type of hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear, specifically the cochlea's receptor cells or the auditory nerve, which prevents proper transmission of sound signals to the brain

Question 38

Pheromones

Answer 38

a chemical signal released by an organism that influences the behavior of other members of the same species,

Question 39

Chemical senses

Answer 39

the senses of taste (gustation) and smell (olfaction)

Question 40

Olfactory system/bulb

Answer 40

the "olfactory system" refers to the sensory system responsible for the sense of smell, while the "olfactory bulb" is a specific part of the brain that receives and processes signals from olfactory receptors in the nose, essentially allowing us to perceive smells

Question 41

Gustation

Answer 41

the sense of taste, meaning the ability to perceive flavors through taste receptors located on the tongue

Question 42

Tastes

Answer 42

gustation, which refers to the sensory perception of flavor detected by taste receptors on the tongue

Question 43

Oleogustus

Answer 43

the proposed "sixth taste" which specifically describes the sensation of tasting fat

Question 44

Tongue

Answer 44

the muscular organ in the mouth primarily responsible for the sense of taste

Question 45

Taste receptors

Answer 45

specialized cells located primarily on the tongue, within taste buds, that detect chemical molecules from food and send signals to the brain

Question 46

Supertasters

Answer 46

an individual who has a significantly heightened sense of taste, particularly for bitter flavors, due to having a larger number of taste buds compared to the average person, making them experience tastes with greater intensity than most others

Question 47

Medium tasters

Answer 47

an individual with an average number of taste buds, experiencing taste sensations at a moderate level

Question 48

Nontasters

Answer 48

an individual who has a significantly reduced ability to perceive taste, particularly bitter flavors, due to a lower density of taste buds on their tongue,

Question 49

Sensory interaction (smell/taste)

Answer 49

the phenomenon where different senses influence each other

Question 50

Touch

Answer 50

one of the five basic senses through which we perceive pressure and temperature applied to our skin.

Question 51

Structures in skin

Answer 51

the various nerve endings and receptors located within the layers of the skin that detect sensations like pressure, temperature, pain, and texture, allowing us to perceive touch

Question 52

Gate control theory

Answer 52

a psychological model explaining pain perception, suggesting that a "gate" located in the spinal cord can either block or allow pain signals to reach the brain, with non-painful stimuli having the ability to "close the gate" and reduce pain sensation

Question 53

Phantom limb syndrome

Answer 53

a condition where a person experiences sensations, including pain, in a limb that has been amputated, essentially feeling like the missing limb is still present and functioning, even though it is not physically there

Question 54

Vestibular sense

Answer 54

the sensory system that provides information about our body's movement, head position, and spatial orientation

Question 55

Semicircular canals (cochlea)

Answer 55

a set of three fluid-filled tubes located in the inner ear that are responsible for detecting head rotation and maintaining balance

Question 56

Kinesthesis

Answer 56

the sense of body movement and position, allowing us to perceive where our body parts are located and how they are moving, even without visual cues

Question 57

Perception

Answer 57

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information received from the environment, allowing us to recognize meaningful objects and events

Question 58

Top down processing

Answer 58

the cognitive process where our brain uses prior knowledge, expectations, and context to interpret new sensory information

Question 59

Bottom up processing

Answer 59

a perceptual process where the brain starts with raw sensory information from the environment, gradually building up a perception without relying on prior knowledge or expectations, essentially analyzing the details of a stimulus before forming a complete understanding of it

Question 60

Schemas

Answer 60

a cognitive framework or mental structure that helps people organize and interpret information based on their past experiences

Question 61

Perceptual sets

Answer 61

a predisposition to perceive things in a specific way based on past experiences, expectations, and current context,

Question 62

Gestalt psychology

Answer 62

a school of thought that emphasizes how humans perceive the whole of an object or scene as more important than its individual parts

Question 63

Closure

Answer 63

the Gestalt principle where the brain tends to fill in missing information to perceive an incomplete image as a complete whole

Question 64

Figure/ground

Answer 64

the perceptual process where the brain distinguishes a main object (the "figure") from its surrounding background (the "ground")

Question 65

Proximity

Answer 65

objects positioned close together are perceived as belonging to the same group

Question 66

Similarity

Answer 66

a Gestalt principle stating that when perceiving visual information, the human mind naturally groups together objects that share similar characteristics like shape, color, or size, perceiving them as a unified whole rather than separate elements

Question 67

Selective attention

Answer 67

the cognitive process of focusing on a specific stimulus or piece of information while actively ignoring other irrelevant or distracting stimuli

Question 68

Cocktail party effect

Answer 68

the ability to focus on a specific conversation or auditory stimulus in a noisy environment, like a crowded party, by filtering out other background sounds, demonstrating the brain's capacity for selective attention

Question 69

Change blindness

Answer 69

the phenomenon where a person fails to notice a significant change in their visual environment, even when the change is obvious, usually occurring when attention is momentarily diverted or disrupted by a visual interruption like a flicker or eye movement

Question 70

Inattention blindness

Answer 70

the phenomenon where someone fails to notice a fully visible object or stimulus because their attention is completely focused on something else

Question 71

Binocular depth cues

Answer 71

visual cues that require the use of both eyes to perceive depth

Question 72

Retinal disparity

Answer 72

the slight difference in the images received by each eye when viewing an object

Question 73

Convergence

Answer 73

a binocular cue for depth perception, where the eyes rotate inwards towards each other to focus on a nearby object, signaling to the brain how close the object is

Question 74

Monocular depth cues

Answer 74

visual cues that allow us to perceive depth and distance using only one eye,

Question 75

Relative clarity

Answer 75

a monocular depth cue where objects that appear sharp and clear are perceived as closer than hazy or less distinct objects

Question 76

Relative size

Answer 76

a monocular depth cue where, when comparing two objects assumed to be similar in size, the one that projects a smaller image on the retina is perceived as being farther away

Question 77

Texture gradient

Answer 77

a monocular depth cue where the apparent texture of a surface becomes progressively finer and less distinct as the surface gets further away from the viewer, providing a visual indication of distance;

Question 78

Linear perspective

Answer 78

a monocular depth cue where parallel lines appear to converge as they recede into the distance, creating the perception of depth even on a flat surface, like a painting or photograph

Question 79

Interposition

Answer 79

a monocular depth cue where one object partially blocks the view of another object, causing the partially blocked object to be perceived as farther away, thus giving the perception of depth

Question 80

Perceptual constancy

Answer 80

the ability of the brain to perceive familiar objects as having a consistent size, shape, color, and brightness, even when the sensory information received from those objects changes due to factors like distance, lighting, or viewing angle;

Question 81

Apparent motion/movement

Answer 81

the perception of movement where there is actually no physical movement occurring

Question 82

Incomplete Retinal Images