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AP Psychology: Sensation and Perception Flashcards

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6394315064sensationthe process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment0
6394315065perceptionthe process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events1
6394315066bottom up processinganalysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information2
6394315067top down processinginformation processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations3
6394315068psychophysicsthe study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them it can concern how sensitive we are to changing stimulation4
6394315069absolute thresholdthe minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time; illustrated by our awareness of faint stimuli such as seeing a candle flame atop another mountain 30 miles away or smelling a single drop of perfume in a three-room apartment5
6394315070signal detection theorya 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 detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue6
6394315071subliminalbelow one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness7
6394315072primingthe activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response8
6394315073difference thresholdthe minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time; we experience this as a *just noticeable difference*9
6394315074Weber's lawthe principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount) For example, you are more likely to notice the cost of a cheeseburger going from $5 to $6 rather than the price of a car going from $20,000 to $20,001 because the cost of the cheeseburger has a lower difference threshold.10
6394315075sensory adaptationdiminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation Ex. Enter an unfamiliar room and it smells weird. Spend five minutes in there and you won't be able to smell anything weird. Ex. Enter a cold pool. Five minutes later you're "used to" the water.11
6394315076transductionconversion of one form of energy into another; in sensation, the transforming of stimulus energies, such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses our brains can interpret12
6394315077wavelengththe 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 transmission13
6394315078huethe dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, etc.14
6394315079intensitythe amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude15
6394315080pupilthe adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters16
6394315081irisa ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening17
6394315082lensthe transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina18
6394315083accommodationthe process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina19
6394315084retinathe light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information20
6394315085acuitythe sharpness of vision21
6394315086nearsightednessa condition in which nearby objects are seen more clearly than distant objects because distant objects focus in front of the retina22
6394315087farsightednessa condition in which faraway objects are seen more clearly than near objects because the image of near objects is focused behind the retina23
6394315088rodsretinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond -helps with seeing in the dark -120 million of them in the eye -location in retina: periphery -not color sensitive -not detail sensitive24
6394315089conesretinal 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 -fovea contains only these -helps with seeing in light -6 million of them in the eye -location in retina: center -color sensitive -detail sensitive25
6394315090optic nervethe nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain26
6394315091blind spotthe point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there27
6394315092foveathe central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster28
6394315093feature detectorsnerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement29
6394315094parallel processingthe processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions including vision; contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving30
6394315095Young-Helmholtz trichromatic theorythe 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 color31
6394315096opponent process theorythe 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 (and vice versa)32
6394315097color constancyperceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object33
6394315098auditionthe sense or act of hearing34
6394315099frequencythe number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second)35
6394315100pitcha tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency36
6394315101decibelthe measuring unit for sound energy37
6394315102outer earthe visible part of the ear that channels the sound waves through the auditory canal to the eardrum38
6394315103eardruma tight membrane in the inner ear that vibrates with the sound waves39
6394315104middle earthe chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window40
6394315105cochleaa coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which sound waves trigger nerve impulses41
6394315106inner earthe innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs42
6394315107basilar membranea structure separating two liquid-filled tubes that runs the length of the cochlea in the inner ear and holds the auditory receptors, called hair cells43
6394315108hair cellsthe hairlike sensory receptors for sound, which are embedded in the basilar membrane of the cochlea damage to these accounts for most hearing loss44
6394315109place theoryin hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated presumes that we hear different pitches because different sound waves trigger activity at different places along the cochlea's basilar membrane45
6394315110frequency theoryin 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 pitch46
6394315111volley principlethe principle that groups of neural cells respond to a sound by firkin slightly out of sync; by firing in rapid succession, they can achieve a combined frequency above 1000 times per second47
6394315112conduction hearing losshearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea If the eardrum is punctured of if the tiny bones of the middle ear lose their ability to vibrate, the ear's ability to conduct vibrations diminishes.48
6394315113sensorineural hearing losshearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves; also called nerve deafness causes include: disease, heredity, aging, prolonged exposure, to ear-splitting noise or music49
6394315114cochlear implanta device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea50
6394315115gate control theorythe 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 gibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain51
6394315116sensory interactionthe principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste52
6394315117kinesthesisthe system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts53
6394315118vestibular sensethe sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance54
6394315119selective attention55
6394315120cocktail party effect56
6394315121inattentional blindness57
6394315122pop out phenomenon58
6394315123visual capture59
6394315124Gestalt60
6394315125figure ground61
6394315126grouping62
6394315127depth perception63
6394315128visual cliff64
6394315129binocular cues65
6394315130retinal disparity66
6394315131convergence67
6394315132monocular cues68
6394315133Phi phenomenon69
6394315134perceptual constancy70
6394315135shape constancy71
6394315136size constancy72
6394315137lightness constancy73
6394315138relative luminance74
6394315139perceptual adaptation75
6394315140perceptual set76
6394315141human factors psychology77
6394315142extrasensory perception78
6394315143parapsychology79

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