Unit 4

Question 1

the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment

Answer 1

sensation

Question 2

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

Answer 2

perception

Question 3

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information
identifying shapes, colors, etc

Answer 3

analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information
identifying shapes, colors, etc.bottom-up processing

Question 4

information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experiences and expectations

Answer 4

information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experiences and expectationstop-down processing

Question 5

selective attention

Answer 5

the focus of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus selective attention

Question 6

inattentional blindess

Answer 6

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

Question 7

change blindness

Answer 7

failing to notice changes in the environment

Question 8

psychophysics

Answer 8

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

Question 9

absolute threshold

Answer 9

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

Question 10

signal detection theory

Answer 10

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detections depends partly on a person’s experiences, expectations, motivation and alertness
Ex. New parents hearing a baby’s cry in the middle of a concert.

Question 11

subliminal

Answer 11

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

Question 12

priming

Answer 12

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, this predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response
Ex. flashing a picture of a cute kitten or an ugly wolf before asking one a question

Question 13

difference threshold

Answer 13

the minimum difference between the 2 stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a Just Noticeable Difference (jnd)

Question 14

Weber’s law

Answer 14

the principle that to be perceived as different, 2 stimuli must differ by a constant percentage (rather than a constant amount)

Question 15

sensory adaptation

Answer 15

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

Question 16

transduction

Answer 16

conversion of one form of energy into another. In sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sight, sound, and smells into neural impulses our brains can interpret

Question 17

wavelength

Answer 17

the distance from the peak of one light or sound wave to the peak of the next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from the short blips of cosmic rays to the long pulses of radio transmission.

Question 18

hue

Answer 18

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, etc.

Question 19

intensity

Answer 19

the amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave’s amplitude

Question 20

pupil

Answer 20

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

Question 21

iris

Answer 21

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye and controls the size of the pupil opening

Question 22

lens

Answer 22

the transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

Question 23

retina

Answer 23

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

Question 24

accommodation

Answer 24

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

Question 25

rods

Answer 25

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray, necessary for peripheral and twilight vision; when cones don't respond

Question 26

cones

Answer 26

retinal receptors that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine details and give rise to color sensations.

Question 27

optic nerve

Answer 27

the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

Question 28

blind spot

Answer 28

the point at which the optic nerve levels the eye, creating a "blind spot" because no receptors are located there

Question 29

fovea

Answer 29

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster

Question 30

feature detectors

Answer 30

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

Question 31

parallel processing

Answer 31

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode for information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrats with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving

Question 32

Young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color) theory

Answer 32

the theory that the retina contains three different color receptors - one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue- which when stimulated in combination can produce the perception of any color

Question 33

opponent-process theory

Answer 33

the theory that opposing retinal processes (red - green, yellow-blue, 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

Question 34

audition

Answer 34

the sense or act of hearing

Question 35

frequency

Answer 35

the number of complete wavelenghts that pass a point in a given time

Question 36

pitch

Answer 36

a tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency

Question 37

middle ear

Answer 37

the chamber between the eardrum and cochlea contains three tiny bones (hammer, anvil and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window

Question 38

cochlea

Answer 38

a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses

Question 39

inner ear

Answer 39

the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals and vestibular sacs

Question 40

place theory

Answer 40

in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated

Question 41

frequency theory

Answer 41

in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch

Question 42

conduction hearing loss

Answer 42

hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea

Question 43

sensorineural hearing loss

Answer 43

hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness

Question 44

cochlear implant

Answer 44

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

Question 45

kinesthesis

Answer 45

the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts

Question 46

vestibular sense

Answer 46

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

Question 47

gate-control theory

Answer 47

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

Question 48

sensory interaction

Answer 48

the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences it taste

Question 49

gestalt

Answer 49

an organized whole. Gestalt psychologist emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.

Question 50

figure-ground

Answer 50

the organization of visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground)

Question 51

grouping

Answer 51

the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups

Question 52

depth perception

Answer 52

the ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance

Question 53

visual cliff

Answer 53

a laboratory derived for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

Question 54

binocular cues

Answer 54

depth cures, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes

Question 55

retinal disparity

Answer 55

a binocular cue of perceiving depth: By comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes distance - the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the closer the object

Question 56

monocular cues

Answer 56

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

Question 57

phi phenomenon

Answer 57

an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick recession

Question 58

perceptual constancy

Answer 58

perceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, lightness and color) even as illumination and retinal images change

Question 59

color constancy

Answer 59

perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object

Question 60

perceptual adaptation

Answer 60

in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field

Question 61

perceptual set

Answer 61

a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another

Question 62

extrasensory perception (ESP)

Answer 62

the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; include telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition

Question 63

parapsychology

Answer 63

the study of paranormal phenomena including ESP and psychokinesis