Unit 3 - Vocab. List #1 Flashcards
(21 cards)
Absolute Threshold
The minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time
Binocular Disparity
A binocular cue for perceiving depth. By comparing retinal images from the two eyes, the brain computes the distance - the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object
Bottom-up Processing
Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information
Cocktail Party Effect
The phenomenon of being able to focus one’s auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli
Cones
Retinal Receptors that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or well-lit conditions. Cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations
Convergence
The inward angle of the eyes focusing on a near object
Figure-Ground Relationships
The relationship between a subject or figure and the background against which it is set and stands out (or not). How we perceive and distinguish discrete things
Gate-Control Theory
The theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological “gate” that blocks pain signals or allows them to pass on to the brain. The “gate” is opened by the activity of pain signals traveling up small nerve fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain
Gestation
The perception of sensations that are usually described as having 1 or more basic taste qualities: sweet, sour, salty, or savory
Habituation
Decreasing responsiveness with repeated exposure to a stimulus
Just Noticeable Difference
The minimum distance between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just Noticeable difference.
Kinesthetic Senses
The ability to sense movement and the body’s position without visual aid, sometimes referred to as muscle memory
Fovea
The central focal point in the retina, are which the eye’s cones cluster
Olfaction
The sense of smell
Opponent-Process Theory
The theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, blue-yellow, white-black) enable color vision. For example, some cells are stimulated by green and inhibited by red; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green
Retina
The light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
Rods
Retinal Receptors that detect white, black, and gray, and are sensitive to movement; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond
Transduction
Conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transformation of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brain can interpret
Sensory Adaptation
Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
Vestibular Senses
Also known as the movement, gravity, or balance sense; allows us to move more smoothly
Weber’s Law
The principal that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must different by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)
