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AP Psychology > Unit 4: Sensation and Perception > Flashcards

Unit 4: Sensation and Perception Flashcards

1
Q

Sensation

A

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

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2
Q

Perception

A

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

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3
Q

Bottom-up processing

A

Analysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain’s integration of sensory information.

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4
Q

Top-down processing

A

Information processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations.

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5
Q

Selective attention

A

The focussing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus.

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6
Q

Inattentional blindness

A

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

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7
Q

Change blindness

A

Failing to notice changes in the environment.

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8
Q

Choice blindness

A

failure to recall a choice immediately after we have made that choice

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9
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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10
Q

Absolute threshold

A

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

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11
Q

Signal detection theory

A

A theory predicting how and when we detect a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends on a person’s experience, expectations, motivations, and alertness.

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12
Q

Subliminal Stimulation

A

Below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

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13
Q

Priming

A

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response

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14
Q

Difference threshold

A

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time

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15
Q

Weber’s Law

A

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

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16
Q

Sensory adaption

A

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

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17
Q

Transduction

A

conversion of one form of energy to another
ex) converting sights/sounds/smells to neural impulses

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18
Q

Wavelength

A

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

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19
Q

Hue

A

the dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light

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20
Q

Intensity (amplitude)

A

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

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21
Q

Pupil

A

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

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22
Q

Iris

A

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

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23
Q

Lens

A

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

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24
Q

Retina

A

the light sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons, that begin the processing of visual information

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25
Accommodation
the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
26
Rods
retinal receptors that detect black, white and grey; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond
27
Cones
retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. The cones detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations
28
Optic nerve
the nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain *Ganglion cells are from the optic nerve
29
Blind spot
the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there
30
Fovea
the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster
31
Feature detectors
nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement *They pass on information to other cortical areas to respond complex patterns
32
Parallel processing
the processing of many aspects of a "problem" simultaneously (like vision) *The brain divides a visual scene into sub dimensions, works on each aspect simultaneously, then constructs our perception by integrating the parallel parts
33
Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theory
the theory that the retina contains 3 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
34
Opponent-process theory
the theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, yellow-blue, white-black) enable colour vision
35
Colour deficient vision
people who suffer red-green deficiency
36
Audition
the sense or act of hearing
37
Sound
is a longitudinal wave
38
Amplitude
tells how loud a sound is
39
Frequency (pitch)
the number of complete waves that pass a point (per second) more waves = high pitch less waves = low pitch
40
Outer ear
consist of auditory canal and eardrum and pinna they collect sound waves and start a chain reaction of vibrations
41
Middle ear
the chamber that contains 3 tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that continue the vibrations
42
Inner ear
the innermost part of the ear containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular tubes.
43
Cochlea
a coiled bony, fluid filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses
44
Place theory
in hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated
45
Frequency theory
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nerve impulses travelling up the auditory nerve matches the frequency of a tone, thus enabling us to sense its pitch
46
Two ears
to locate the origin of sounds
47
Conduction hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
48
Sensorineural hearing loss
hearing loss caused by damage to cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness
49
Cochlear implants
a device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea
50
Touch
"the alpha and omega of affection" - William James
51
Kinesthesis
the system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts
52
Vestibular sense
the sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance
53
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
54
Psychological influences of pain
- can be distracted from it - forget about it - brain can create pain - brain edits pain memory (child birth)
55
Social-cultural influences of pain
we experience more pain, when others do as well
56
Sweet
energy source
57
Salty
sodium - essential to us
58
Sour
potentially toxic acid
59
Bitter
potential poisons
60
Umami
proteins to grow and repair tissue
61
Pleasing tastes
attracted our ancestors to energy or protein rich foods that enabled their survival
62
Adverse tastes
deterred them from new food that might be toxic
63
Taste
a chemical sense taste buds have pores that catch food chemicals
64
Sensory interaction
the principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste
65
Sense of smell
receptor cells send messages to the brain's olfactory bulb, and then on to the temporal lobe's primary smell cortex
66
Gestalt
we constantly filter sensory information and infer perceptions in ways that makes sense to us
67
Figure-ground
the organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground)
68
Grouping
the perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into constant groups
69
Proximity
we group nearby figures together
70
Similarity
we group similar figures together
71
Continuity
we perceive smooth continuous patterns, (not choppy ones)
72
Connectedness
when things are uniformed and linked we see them as a single unit
73
Closure
we fill in gaps to complete, whole objects
74
Depth perception
the ability to see objects in 3 dimensions although the images that strike the retina are 2-dimensional; allows us to judge distances
75
Visual cliff
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
76
Binocular cues
depth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes
77
Retinal disparity
a binocular cue for perceiving depth: By comparing images from the retinas in the two eyes, the brain computes the distance - the greater the disparity (difference) between two images, the closer the object
78
Monocular cues
depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone
79
Motion perception
normally your brain computes motion based on the assumption that shrinking objects are retreating and enlarging objects are approaching
80
Phi phenomenon
an illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succesion
81
Perceptual constancy
perceiving objects as unchanging, even as illumination and retina images change
82
Horizon cues
make it look farther away, therefore larger
83
Color constancy
perceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object
84
Sensory deprivation
cuts a person off from as many sensory inputs as possible.
85
Restored vision
Someone who doesn't have sight can't remember seeing, then has their vision restored, lacks schemas and absence of sensory and perceptual development.
86
Perceptual adaptation
in vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field
87
Perceptual set
a mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another
88
Extrasensory perception (ESP)
the controversial claim that perception can occur from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition
89
Telepathy
mind to mind communication
90
Clairvoyance
perceiving remote events
91
Precognition
perceiving future events
92
Parapsychology
the study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis

AP Psychology (14 decks)

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