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AP Psychology Sensation and Perception Flashcards

Sensation and Perception-Myers Psychology for AP 2e

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11666849231sensationthe process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 152)0
11666849232perceptionthe process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 152)1
11666849233bottom-up processinganalysis that begins with the sensory receptors and works up to the brain's integration of sensory information. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 152)2
11666849234top-down processinginformation processing guided by higher-level mental processes, as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 152)3
11666849235selective attentionthe focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 152)4
11666849236inattentional blindnessfailing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 154)5
11666849237change blindnessfailing to notice changes in the environment. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 154)6
11666849238transductionconversion 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.(Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 155)7
11666849239psychophysicsthe study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 155)8
11666849240absolute thresholdthe minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 156)9
11666849241signal 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 alertness. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 156)10
11666849242subliminalbelow one's absolute threshold for conscious awareness. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 157)11
11666849243primingthe activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e pp. 157, 336)12
11666849244difference thresholdthe minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference (or jnd). (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 158)13
11666849245Weber's lawthe principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount). (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 158)14
11666849246sensory adaptationdiminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 159)15
11666849247perceptual seta mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not another. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 163)16
11666849248parapsychologythe study of paranormal phenomena, including ESP and psychokinesis. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 167)17
11666849249wavelengththe 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. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 171)18
11666849250huethe dimension of color that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the color names blue, green, and so forth. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 172)19
11666849251intensitythe amount of energy in a light or sound wave, which we perceive as brightness or loudness, as determined by the wave's amplitude. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 172)20
11666849252pupilthe adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 172)21
11666849253irisa ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 172)22
11666849254lensthe transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 172)23
11666849255retinathe light-sensitive inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 172)24
11666849256accommodation(1) in sensation and perception, the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 172)25
11666849257rodsretinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 173)26
11666849258conesretinal 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. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 173)27
11666849259optic nervethe nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 173)28
11666849260blind spotthe point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, creating a "blind" spot because no receptor cells are located there. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 173)29
11666849261foveathe central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 173)30
11666849262feature detectorsnerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 175)31
11666849263parallel processingthe processing of many 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 solving. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e pp. 176, 319)32
11666849264Young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-color)theory 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. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 178)33
11666849265opponent-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; others are stimulated by red and inhibited by green. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 179)34
11666849266gestaltan organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 182)35
11666849267figure-groundthe organization of the visual field into objects (the figures) that stand out from their surroundings (the ground). (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 183)36
11666849268groupingthe perceptual tendency to organize stimuli into coherent groups. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 183)37
11666849269depth perceptionthe ability to see objects in three dimensions although the images that strike the retina are two-dimensional; allows us to judge distance. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 184)38
11666849270visual cliffa laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 184) Indicates some depth perception is innate.39
11666849271binocular cuesdepth cues, such as retinal disparity, that depend on the use of two eyes. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 184)40
11666849272retinal disparitya binocular cue for 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. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 184)41
11666849273monocular cuesdepth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 185)42
11666849274phi phenomenonan illusion of movement created when two or more adjacent lights blink on and off in quick succession. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 185)43
11666849275perceptual constancyperceiving objects as unchanging (having consistent shapes, size, brightness, and color) even as illumination and retinal images change. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 186)44
11666849276color constancyperceiving familiar objects as having consistent color, even if changing illumination alters the wavelengths reflected by the object. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 187)45
11666849277perceptual adaptationin vision, the ability to adjust to an artificially displaced or even inverted visual field. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 191)46
11666849278auditionthe sense or act of hearing. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 194)47
11666849279frequencythe number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (for example, per second). (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 195)48
11666849280pitcha tone's experienced highness or lowness; depends on frequency. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 195)49
11666849281middle earthe chamber between the eardrum and cochlea containing three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, and stirrup) that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochlea's oval window. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 195)50
11666849282cochleaa coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochlear fluid trigger nerve impulses. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 195) Has 16,000 hair cells.51
11666849283inner earthe innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 195)52
11666849284sensorineural hearing losshearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea's receptor cells or to the auditory nerves. (Also called nerve deafness.) (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 197)53
11666849285conduction hearing losshearing loss caused by damage to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 197)54
11666849286cochlear implanta device for converting sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the auditory nerve through electrodes threaded into the cochlea. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 198)55
11666849287place theoryin hearing, the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place where the cochlea's membrane is stimulated. (Myers Psychology for AP 2e p. 199)56
11666849288frequency 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 pitch.57
11666849289gate-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 fibers and is closed by activity in larger fibers or by information coming from the brain.58
11666849290kinesthesiathe system for sensing the position and movement of individual body parts.59
11666849291vestibular sensethe sense of body movement and position, including the sense of balance.60
11666849292sensory interactionthe principle that one sense may influence another, as when the smell of food influences its taste.61
11666849293corneaAnatomy of the eye: outermost transparent layer protecting the eye; assists in light refraction62
11666849294bipolar cellsA type of retinal cells that accepts electric (nerve) impulses from the photoreceptors and passes them to the ganglion cells63
11666849295ganglion cells of the eyeIn the retina, the specialized neurons that connect to the bipolar cells; the bundled axons of the ganglion cells form the optic nerve.64
11666849296auditory canalchannel that leads from the pinna to the eardrum65
11666849297basilar membraneA structure that runs the length of the cochlea in the inner ear and holds the auditory receptors, called hair cells.66
11666849298papillaeBumps on the tongue that contain taste buds, the receptors for taste.67
11666849299umania fifth taste sensation added to the list, a savory flavor68
11666849300semicircular canalPassages in the inner ear associated with maintaining equilibrium69
11666849301cocktail party effectThe ability to focus on one auditory message and ignore others; also refers to the tendency to notice when your name suddenly appears in a message that you've been actively ignoring70
11666849302law of similarityThe Gestalt principle that we tend to group similar objects together in our perceptions.71
11666849303law of proximityElements located close to one another are perceived as belonging to the same figure72
11666849304law of closurethe tendency to fill in the gaps in an incomplete image.73
11666849305"visual cliff"Babies between 6.5 and 12 month of age were reluctant to crawl over the "cliff" edge, even when called by their mothers, suggesting that they perceived the drop created by the check pattern.74
11666849306monocular depth cuesFeatures of the visual stimulus that indicate distance even if the stimulus is viewed with only one eye.75
11666849307linear perspectiveA monocular cue for perceiving depth; the more parallel lines converge, the greater their perceived distance.76
11666849308aerial perspectiveMonocular cue to distance and depth based on the fact that more distant objects are likely to appear hazy and blurred.77
11666849309relative sizeThe monocular cue that states that if an object seems larger, it is probably closer, and if an object is smaller, it is probably distant.78
11666849310motion parallaxA depth cue whereby a difference in the apparent rate of movement of different objects provides information about the relative distance of those objects79
11666849311binocular depth cuesClues about distance based on the differing views of the two eyes80
11666849313amplitudeHeight of a wave Loudness The maximum distance the wave moves up or down from its rest position.81
11666849314accommodationThe process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina.82
11666849315subliminal perceptionPerception below the threshold of awareness.83
11666849317location detectionif a sound occurs right in front of you it hits both your ears at the same time. Otherwise it hits one before the other. Using that time difference the body can determine the location of the sound. Called Coincidence Detection. Neurons can also detect difference in volume. These both work for LEFT RIGHT locating. Cells in the superior olive.84
11666849318olfactionsense of smell85
11666849319phantom limbsensations that appear to originate in a limb that has been amputated after an amputation, the person continues to experience the felt presence of the amputated limb. what happens is the region of the parietal lobe that normally receives signals from the amputated limb is no longer getting that input so neurons form connections with neurons in adjacent regions of the body map and because of this neuroplastic reorganization, the phantom limb is born.86
11666849320Ponzo illusionAn illusion of size in which two objects of equal size that are positioned between two converging lines appear to be different in size. Also called the railroad track illusion.87
11666849321stroboscopic movementthe brain's perception of continuous movement in a rapid series of slightly varying images; this is how we perceive motion in film and animation88
11666849322interpositionmonocular visual cue in which two objects are in the same line of vision and one patially conceals the other, indicating that the first object concealed is further away89
11666849323perceptual setThe interpretation of ambiguous sensory information in terms of how our past experiences have set us to perceive it.90

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