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Psychology > Unit 3: Reading and Notes > Flashcards

Unit 3: Reading and Notes Flashcards

1
Q

Sensation vs. Perception

A

Sensation - the process of conducting mental representations of the external world by converting it to neural signals
Perception - how we select, organize, and interpret our sensations

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2
Q

Bottom-up processing

A

Analysis of stimulus that begins with the sense receptors and works up to the level of the brain

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3
Q

Top-down processing

A

Information processing guided by high level mental process as we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations

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4
Q

Selective attention

A

The focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

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5
Q

Transduction

A

Conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret

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6
Q

Psychophysics

A

The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them

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7
Q

Inattentional blindness

A

Failing to see visible objects when our attention is somewhere else

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8
Q

Three steps basic to all our sensory systems

A
  1. Receive sensory stimulation (often using specialized receptor cells)
  2. Transform that stimulation into natural impulses
  3. Deliver the neural information
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9
Q

Change blindness

A

Failing to notice changes in the environment

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10
Q

Absolute threshold

A

The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

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11
Q

Signal detection theory

A

A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background stimulation. Assumes that there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a person’s experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness

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12
Q

Weber’s Law

A

The principle that to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant percentage, rather than a constant amount

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13
Q

Sensory adaptation

A

Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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14
Q

Perceptual set

A

A mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another because of our mental tendencies and previous experiences

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15
Q

How does the human eye see?

A

Not using light particles itself, but by using wavelength to determine the hue and amplitude to determine intensity

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16
Q

How do the brain and eye work together?

A

The retina’s receptor cells convert particles of light energy to neural impulses and send them to the brain. The brain reassembles them into an image

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17
Q

Trichromatic Theory

A

The retina contains three receptor cones, sensitive to red, green, and blue

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18
Q

Opponent Process Theory

A

Says that we process colors opposed in pairs, red-green, blue-yellow, white-black

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19
Q

Wavelength

A

The distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of the next

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20
Q

Accommodation

A

The process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

21
Q

Feature detectors

A

Nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement

22
Q

Parallel processing

A

The processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision.

23
Q

Gestalt

A

German word meaning organized whole. When given a cluster of sensations, people tend to organize them into a meaningful whole (example: Necker’s cube)

24
Q

Depth perception

A

How you perceive how far or close something is

25
Q

How does the brain perceive movement?

A

The brain computes motion based on its assumption that shrinking objects are retreating and enlarging objects are approaching. It perceived continuous movement in a rapid series of slightly varying images.

26
Q

Figure ground

A

The organization of the visual field into objects that stand out from their surrounds

27
Q

Grouping

A

The perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

28
Q

Binocular cues

A

Depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

29
Q

Retinal disparity

A

By comparing retinal images from two eyes, the brain computes distance. The greater the disparity between two images, the closer the object

30
Q

Monocular cues

A

Depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone

31
Q

How do perceptual constancies help us organize our sensations into meaningful perceptions

A

Allow us to recognize objects, regardless of viewing angles, distance, and illumination. Therefore, we can take context into account to create meaningful perceptions

32
Q

Perceptual adaptation

A

The ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

33
Q

Audition

A

The sense or act of hearing

34
Q

What do we hear best

A

Human voices (3000 to 4000 Hz)

35
Q

Frequency

A

Determined by wavelength of sound, measured in hertz (Hz)

36
Q

Pitch

A

A tone’s experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency

37
Q

Sensorineural hearing loss

A

Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea’s receptor cells or to the auditory nerves, also called nerve deafness

38
Q

Conduction hearing loss

A

Hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sounds waves to the cochlea

39
Q

Cochlear implant

A

A device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea

40
Q

Place Theory

A

We perceive high and low pitch sounds because the soundwaves will cause the cochlea to vibrate at different places

41
Q

Frequency Theory

A

The rate of nerve impulses going through the auditory nerve matches the pitch of the tone

42
Q

4 ways we perceive touch

A

Pressure, warmth, cold, and pain

43
Q

Describe pain.

A

Varies by gender, triggered by both bottom-up sensations and top-down processing.

44
Q

How to control pain

A

Stimulate “gate-closing” activity. Use massage, electric stimulation, or acupuncture.

45
Q

Phantom limb sensation

A

When the brain misinterprets the spontaneous central nervous system activity that occurs in the absence of normal sensory input

46
Q

Olfaction

A

Odor enters the nasal cavity and stimulates 5 million receptor cells to sense smells. Humans can detect about 10,000 different odors

47
Q

Vestibular sense

A

The sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance

48
Q

What tastes do we experience?

A

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami

49
Q

Scent and memory

A

The part of the brain that processes smell is close to the part that processes memories

Psychology (22 decks)

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