unit 3 Flashcards
(19 cards)
Sensation
The process by which sensory receptors and the nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from the environment.
Sensory Receptors
Specialized cells that detect sensory stimuli and convert them into neural impulses to be sent to the brain.
Perception
The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to give it meaning.
Bottom-up Processing
Processing sensory information as it travels from the sensory receptors to the brain, creating a perception.
top-down processing
Using prior knowledge and expectations to interpret and organize sensory information.
selective attention
Focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimulus while ignoring others.
inattentional blindness
Failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere.
change blindness
Failing to notice changes in the environment, even when the changes are noticeable.
transduction
The process of converting one form of energy into another that the brain can use (e.g., converting light into neural signals).
psychophysics
The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experiences of them.
absolute threshold
The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time.
signal detection theory
A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background noise.
subliminal
Below the threshold of conscious perception, often used to refer to stimuli that are not consciously perceived.
difference threshold
The minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time.
priming
The activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response.
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.
sensory adaptation
Diminished sensitivity as a result of constant or repetitive stimulation.
perceptual set
A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another, based on expectations and experiences.
extrasensory perception
The controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input, including telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.
